Lewis Hamilton admits he is dreaming of matching Ayrton Senna's F1 record at the Singapore Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver is one victory away from matching the legendary Brazilian's tally of 41 victories, which Senna achieved from 161 starts. A win for Hamilton in Singapore would see him exactly match that record, with the Italian Grand Prix having been Hamilton's 160th race start.
Speaking after being named GQ's Sportsman of the Year, Hamilton admits he is aware of the significance of the next round at Marina Bay.
“My dream was always to emulate Ayrton Senna," Hamilton said. "I always wanted to be like him, I wanted to drive like him, I wanted to inspire a nation like he did. He was such a hero in Brazil.
“To think that he had 161 grands prix and won 41 grands prix and I’ve just reached 160 and 40 wins…”
Hamilton currently holds a 53-point lead in the drivers' championship, chasing his third title which would also put him level with Senna's number of championships which were all achieved with McLaren.
View Hamilton's full acceptance speech below:
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