“Ayrton, My Inspiration Always”: Honorary Brazilian Citizen Lewis Hamilton Remembers His Idol Ayrton Senna With Special Birthday Post

Lewis Hamilton has never shied away from saying that Ayrton Senna is his idol among the long list of illustrious names in Formula 1. Senna, at his peak, was a driver who captured the imagination of every motorsport fan.

And Hamilton, who was a young child when Senna was at the peak of his powers, instantly fell in love with Senna. Though, in 1994, he passed away due to a fatal accident during the San Marino Grand Prix.

But Hamilton’s love for Senna never washed away. Even at 38 and surpassing everyone’s legacy, including Senna, Hamilton still remembers his childhood hero via a birthday post.

The seven-time-world champion on Senna’s birthday shares an Instagram post in Portuguese, saying, “Congratulations, Ayrton, my inspiration always,” translated with Google.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Lewis Hamilton (@lewishamilton)

The post had a series of five pictures, and he further boosted the reach of his post by sharing it in multiple stories. Hamilton hardly does the same for others, which showcases how important the former F1 driver is to him.

Lewis Hamilton is loved by Brazil and Senna’s family

Due to his undying respect and love for Senna, Brazilians have wholeheartedly started to adore Hamilton. So much so that the Briton feels that the Brazilian Grand Prix is his second home race.

He also received honorary citizenship from the Brazilian government last year and celebrated his last win in Brazil with their national flag. On the other hand, Senna’s family is also very welcoming of the 103 Grand Prix winner.

When Hamilton matched the pole tally of Senna back in 2017 while performing in Canada, the latter’s family gifted him his idol’s helmet. The 38-year-old still remembers it as one of his most cherished days.

When Lewis Hamilton received a race worn Ayrton Senna helmet as a gift from the family after equaling his hero’s number of pole positions 💛🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/2FBQMeqkCB

— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) March 21, 2023

Not at the top this year

Hamilton may have eclipsed the statistical legacy of Senna and the other top drivers to grace the game, but he is still determined to extend his decorated figures. He has admitted that he is determined to increase his championship count to eight.

However, in 2023, he is no longer the force he was in the last decade. The current car presented by Mercedes isn’t capable of running for the championship and is recording a 1.5 second lesser time to the defending champions Red Bull.

So, this year is not Hamilton’s year, certainly. But even after this, he wishes to extend his stay in the sport. But will he get his desirable number 8? That remains to be seen.

About the author

Tanish Chachra

Tanish Chachra is the Motorsport editor at The SportsRush. He saw his first race when F1 visited India in 2011, and since then, his romance with the sport has been seasonal until he took up this role in 2020. Reigniting F1's coverage on this site, Tanish has fallen in love with the sport all over again. He loves Kimi Raikkonen and sees a future world champion in Oscar Piastri. Away from us, he loves to snuggle inside his books.

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