Hamilton talks about his admiration for Senna and celebrates his return to Brazil: “It is an honor”

This Wednesday (1), George Russell and Lewis Hamilton held a press conference at Palacio Tangara, in São Paulo (SP). Ahead of the Formula 1 race at Interlagos at the weekend, Mercedes drivers spoke to journalists at an event organized by Petronas, the German team’s sponsor.

Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, has a deep connection to Brazil. In 2021, when he won the race at Interlagos, he “imitated” the gesture of his idol Ayrton Senna and raised the national flag inside the car. The following year, he obtained Brazilian citizenship and attended the session in the chamber in Brasilia.

Hamilton talked about this sense of belonging.

“I feel at home. It’s different coming here, of course I was born in the UK, and last year, I was nervous about how I would be received back in England. But it’s been positive. I know Brazilians all over the world, and we have some Things on the team. Back here… It’s a great city. I have secret plans to spend more time here. It’s a very big country, I want to deepen my knowledge of the culture. Running here, he raised the bar and said “citizen education…it’s an honor.”

He added: “The love and support here is surreal. I see people who have supported me for years. It is a diverse country.”

The Mercedes driver once again spoke, briefly, about his admiration for Ayrton Senna. He summed up: “I was 4 or 5 years old and I started watching it. He showed me that it was possible.”

On-track activities for the São Paulo Formula 1 GP start on Friday (3): at 11:30 a.m. (Brasilia time), the drivers go to the track for the first free practice session, and at 3 p.m., they perform the session practice Qualification. Saturday (4), qualifying day for the sprint race and the short race itself, at 11am and 3:30pm, respectively. Finally, on Sunday, the Sao Paulo Grand Prix will take place at 2pm.