In a profoundly emotional moment, Lewis Hamilton took to the Interlagos track in Ayrton Senna’s title-winning McLaren MP4/5B ahead of Sunday’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix, the Briton describing the occasion as “the greatest honour” of his career.
For the seven-time world champion, who has long revered Senna as his childhood hero and inspiration, the handful of laps he completed at the wheel of the great Brazilian’s car at Interlagos were more than just a tribute – they were a dream come to life.
The Interlagos crowd, known for its fierce love for Senna, roared with appreciation from the moment Hamilton ignited the McLaren’s Honda engine.
With every lap, they cheered him on, an outpouring of admiration from fans who had gathered in the rain, arriving as early as 4 a.m. to witness qualifying and this extraordinary moment.
For Hamilton, their presence made the experience all the more powerful.
"It is very, very emotional," he said. "I was just revisiting my childhood, watching Ayrton racing here and hearing that sound and watching him drive here to win that race. I just cannot believe that I had the chance to do that."
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"It was really the greatest honour of my career to do it here in front of this beautiful crowd here in Brazil, who stood out in the rain all day yesterday and then have been here since 4am this morning.
"It is a special day and I am incredibly grateful to everyone who made this happen. The love that I have received here is something that has been such a surprise to me. But both my family and I are so, so grateful to everyone in Brazil for the love and the support.”
Hamilton’s deep connection to Brazil goes beyond his admiration for Senna. Last year, he was granted honorary Brazilian citizenship, a moment he regards as one of the highest honors of his life.
Lapping the track in Senna’s car, under the watchful eyes of Senna’s countrymen, was a culmination of that bond.
“I really love Brazil and I love the people,” Hamilton said warmly. “To have my citizenship here is such a huge honour.
“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 real honour for my career.”
The laps were over all too quickly, but Hamilton’s joy was so overwhelming that he couldn’t bring himself to stop.
“This will probably never happen again so I will definitely cherish this moment,” he admitted, his voice charged with emotion.
“I did not want to stop, I did one or two more laps than I was supposed to. That is a real racing car—I would race that today if I could! It would be my pleasure. Obrigado to everyone here in Brazil.”
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