Lewis Hamilton reflects on driving Senna's McLaren as ‘greatest honour' of his career
SAO PAULO - In an emotionally charged moment at Interlagos, Lewis Hamilton paid homage to his hero Ayrton Senna by driving the legendary Brazilian's McLaren MP4/5B. Describing it as "the greatest honour of my career," Hamilton took to the track for demonstration laps following his qualification for the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Hamilton, who was bestowed honorary Brazilian citizenship in 2022, drove the remarkable car that Senna piloted to win his second world championship. This tribute comes 30 years after the tragic death of Senna at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
Reflecting on the experience, Hamilton said: "It's very emotional. I was just revisiting my childhood as I was watching Ayrton race here as a kid, hearing that sound and watching him drive here and winning in that race. I just couldn't believe that I just had that chance to do that. And it was really the greatest honour of my career to do it in front of this beautiful crowd here in Brazil who stood out in the rain all day yesterday, and have been here since 4:00 a.m. or 3:00 a.m. this morning."
In honour of the occasion, Hamilton wore a specially designed white race suit and helmet. He expressed his deep appreciation for the opportunity: "I really love Brazil and I really love the people and I'm so grateful. To even have my citizenship here is such a huge honour. So I hope Senna can be proud. That was the best drive of the whole weekend.
"Thank you to everyone for taking a pause for this moment and allowing me, this is honestly a real honour for my career. And you know, this probably will never ever happen again. So I'll definitely cherish the moment. That's why I didn't stop. I did one or two more laps more than I was supposed to," Hamilton added, clearly cherishing every second on the track.
Hamilton went on to praise the car, saying, "That's a real racing car. I would race that today if I could. It would be my pleasure. But yeah, obrigado to everyone here in Brazil."
This touching tribute to Senna highlights the enduring legacy of a legend in motorsport and showcases Hamilton's admiration for the Brazilian icon, enhancing an already special weekend at Interlagos.
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