“I Wanted to Drive Like He Did”: Lewis Hamilton Reveals How He Started to Idolize Ayrton Senna

Ayrton Senna is Lewis Hamilton’s idol, something the British driver has admitted to several times in the past. But how he started drawing inspiration from Senna is relatively less known.

Hamilton shed light on the same during an interview with Elle. He revisited his childhood and revealed how he would glue himself to the television screen to watch Senna’s races when he was just four years old.

“I was a very active kid, and getting me to sit down wasn’t easy,” said Hamilton. “But for some reason, I stopped for his Grand Prix [races].

“Ayrton’s toy car models were what I wanted for Christmas. When I watched his videos, I felt I understood the things he stood for, and how honest he was. I wanted to drive his way. I felt a connection,” the Stevenage-born driver added.

Quando Lewis Hamilton recebeu um capacete do Ayrton Senna como presente da família após igualar o número de pole positions de seu herói.

pic.twitter.com/0N9NEtHUDo

— Mercedes-AMG F1 Brasil (@MercedesAMGF1BR) May 2, 2024

Senna’s Brazilian heritage also instilled a sense of deep connection with the country in Hamilton. He loves Brazil, and the fans there reciprocate his feelings.

Every year, Hamilton treats the Sao Paolo GP like his home race, and in 2022, he became an honorary citizen of Brazil.

Unfortunately, Senna’s death jolted Hamilton. In 1994 – when his fatal Imola crash took place – Hamilton had already started working towards a career in F1. He was in karting at the time and cried for weeks after the incident.

However, he has since grown to love the person Senna was, much like most of the drivers on the current grid.

Senna is an idol of many modern-day racers

Apart from Hamilton, many other current-era F1 drivers consider Senna to be their role model, including Daniel Ricciardo, who used to watch Senna race in the streets of Melbourne as a child. While their reasons are different, they remain interlinked.

Senna’s driving skills surpassed the limitations of his cars, which made him one of the greatest, and helped him win three World Championships.

Daniel Ricciardo talking about one of his biggest heroes, Ayrton Senna pic.twitter.com/0BBietsdsa

— ECE ③ (@ricciardopics) November 13, 2021

Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll recently commented on the iconic driver, calling him a “legend of the sport.” For Stroll, Senna was someone who changed F1 in multiple ways and also helped his country by racing in F1, further elevating the status of the sport.