British driver Lewis Hamilton, who has won seven Formula One championships and set many records, experienced what he calls the greatest honor of his career on Sunday. He drove Ayrton Senna’s championship-winning car around the Interlagos track before the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Some fans in the crowd were emotional as Hamilton knelt before the car in respect.
Dressed in an all-white racing suit, Hamilton took a few laps in the historic McLaren MP4/5B, which Senna raced during his title-winning season in 1990, defeating Ferrari’s Alain Prost. As he carried a Brazilian flag in his right hand, he was shown the checkered flag by Olympic gold medalist Rebeca Andrade, mimicking the iconic gestures of the legendary three-time champion.
Senna tragically passed away after the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994, but his legacy remains strong at Interlagos, where he won in 1991 and 1993.
“It is very emotional, naturally,” Hamilton said, holding the Brazilian flag on his back. “I was revisiting my childhood as I watched Ayrton racing here. I can’t believe I am having this opportunity.”
Hamilton expressed how special it was to perform in front of such an enthusiastic crowd in Brazil, adding, “It is the greatest honor of my career.” In 2022, he became an honorary Brazilian citizen thanks to a motion from the country’s congress.
Despite struggling with his Mercedes car this season, Hamilton humorously remarked that he had “the best drive in the whole weekend,” even though he only recorded the 16th fastest lap during qualifying that morning. Heavy rain in Sao Paulo had postponed much of Saturday’s events to Sunday, including the tribute to Senna.
“I would race with that car today if I could,” Hamilton said. The British driver, who will join Ferrari next season, is currently sixth in the drivers’ championship.
Earlier this year, four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel drove Senna’s 1993 McLaren at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix as part of the tributes for the Brazilian driver on the 30th anniversary of his death.
There were mixed feelings among former Brazilian drivers about giving this tribute to Hamilton, who is a dedicated fan of Senna. Rubens Barrichello felt that a Brazilian driver who competed in F1 alongside the three-time champion would have been a better choice.
Two-time champion Emerson Fittipaldi expressed in an interview that it was “unethical” for the organizers to select the British driver. However, Felipe Massa, who lost the 2008 championship to Hamilton in a close finish at Interlagos, supported the decision.
“Of course I wanted to drive it myself. But I respect the decision of the Senna family; fans will love to watch a big fan of Ayrton’s like Hamilton driving his car here,” Massa said on Saturday. “In the end, every driver would love to have that honor.”
