This weekend, Lewis Hamilton will drive his first Grand Prix of São Paulo for Ferrari, an honor that Ayrton Senna was never able to experience due to his untimely death. The seven-time world champion cherishes special memories of Brazil and will honor his idol this weekend with a special helmet.
Ayrton Senna was a three-time world champion and won his home race at Interlagos twice: in 1991 and 1993, both with McLaren. Although he is generally considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Formula 1 drivers of all time, there was one thing missing in his career: driving for Ferrari.
It was a big dream of Senna’s, which never became a reality due to his tragic death in a crash in the infamous Tamburello corner in Imola in 1994. According to Angelo Orsi, Senna’s personal photographer and close friend, a new deal was already in the works, with the Brazilian set to join the Scuderia from 1996. This weekend, Lewis Hamilton, who idolizes Senna, will symbolically fulfill that dream with Ferrari.
Helmet
The seven-time world champion has a special bond with Senna and Brazil and was named an honorary citizen of the country in 2021. Last year, Hamilton drove a few laps with Senna’s title-winning McLaren from 1990 before the race, winning the hearts of the audience.
In an interview with GQ Brazil, Hamilton reveals that he will be wearing a helmet inspired by the Brazilian flag during the Grand Prix of São Paulo this weekend. “It’s a strange feeling, because I remember growing up watching Ayrton and, like everyone else, I always wondered what it would be like if Ayrton were in a Ferrari,” says Hamilton. “And now you see a helmet with the Brazilian flag fluttering around São Paulo in a Ferrari for the first time. I hope to make the people here proud, just like Senna and his family.”
Special Memories
Hamilton cherishes special memories of Brazil. In 2008, Interlagos was the setting for the season finale, where the Brit, through an overtaking move on Timo Glock in the very last corner, won his very first world title at the expense of home hero Felipe Massa. In total, Hamilton has won three times in São Paulo: in 2016, 2018, and 2021. “My first time here was already a big thrill,” Hamilton recalls. “It was when I felt closest to Ayrton. I always saw him as a child in movies and on TV. So finally being in his country was something special.”
Last season, amidst a chaotic qualification and a decisive Grand Prix, Hamilton drove a few extra laps in Ayrton Senna’s McLaren MP4/5B. An emotional moment for Hamilton, who reflects a year later: “Last year was crazy for me because I was looking at tires on which he drove laps on the circuit. It’s a shame the track was wet, it would have been cooler if it had been dry. But it’s always like this here: scorching hot or very wet.”
