Lewis Hamilton has reflected on the moment he drove Ayrton Senna’s 1990 championship winning McLaren at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix on Sunday, describing it as memorable, Afrosport reports.
The seven-time world champion took the McLaren MP4/5B for a spin around Interlagos circuit, before pulling over take a Brazilian flag from a marshal, reenacting the late Senna when he won his home race in 1991.
Hamilton, who holds a honorary Brazilian citizenship and has won at Interlagos three times, took to Instagram to thank his team and the Brazilian fans for the opportunity.
“Grateful for the team and the engineers, we did our best out there but it was a hard race throughout in really tough conditions,” read the post.
“This could’ve easily been a weekend to forget but the energy and passion from the fans have made it memorable for me. I still can’t put into words how it felt to drive Ayrton Senna’s car.
“To share that with this crowd means everything to me. Thank you Brazil for the support and the love. I feel it, even on days like this, and I send it back to you.”
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In a separate Instagram post, Hamilton was grateful to Brazil for making the South American nation his home.
“The weekend has not gone my way so far, but Brazil will always be a place where dreams come true,” he stated.
“I am so grateful for this country, the people here and the love. I won my first championship here, had my best ever drive here, and now to be in this country as an honorary citizen driving my hero’s car is almost too much to comprehend.
“It doesn’t feel real. It’s a massive honour and one that I’ll look back on as one of the highlights of my life. Obrigado Senna, obrigado Brasil.”
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Hamilton finished the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in 10th place and is seventh in the drivers’ championship behind Mercedes teammate George Russell and ahead of Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso.
