There is little doubt about Lewis Hamilton and his racing ability’s impact in F1. However, during the course, he has also inspired millions through his stand against racism and other social injustices. Recently, recognizing his substantial contributions to the anti-racism cause, a Brazilian soccer club has chosen to honor him. Hamilton is already quite popular among the Brazilian people due to his positive remarks about the nation and his deep admiration for the legendary Ayrton Senna. Now, the Brazilian soccer team Vasco da Gama has reciprocated his feelings and introduced a special jersey as a tribute to him.
During a match in the Campeonato Carioca against Sampaio Corrêa, Vasco da Gama featured jerseys printed with the names of anti-racism activists throughout history. This unique tribute also recognizes the impactful contributions of figures like Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, besides Hamilton.
#F1 | Brazilian football team, Vasco da Gama,
played tribute to important personalities that fight against racial prejudice in the world this past Sunday (21st).Amongst some of the names, Sir Lewis Hamilton (8), Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King. pic.twitter.com/xabZWAkswi
— deni (@fiagirly) January 22, 2024
After looking at the jersey, what drew the fans’ attention was the jersey number. The black jersey featured the number 8 printed in a striking golden color. Fan speculations suggest that this number is intricately connected to the number of championships many fans perceive Hamilton to have won in Formula 1, courtesy of the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP fiasco.
Back in 2021, Lewis Hamilton was poised to clinch his eighth championship. However, following a late-race incident, race director Michael Masi incorrectly applied the safety car restart rules, resulting in Hamilton controversially losing the championship.
Why are Brazilians such big Lewis Hamilton fans?
Despite being a native of Britain, Lewis Hamilton receives love and admiration from people worldwide. Brazil, in particular, stands out as a country where the Mercedes driver has garnered a lot of affection. This is because Hamilton has always loved Brazilian people, especially Ayrton Senna.
Indeed, for the people of Brazil, when Hamilton takes to the racetrack, he is embraced as a figure akin to one of their own. This shared admiration played a pivotal role in Brazil’s granting of citizenship to Hamilton in November 2022. Naturally, Brazilian fans adore and respect Hamilton for his off-track initiatives too besides his racing accolades.
In 2021, Hamilton launched Mission 44, a project to enhance diversity in Formula 1. This initiative is to enhance education and opportunities for black students in the United Kingdom. Even Mercedes and various prominent organizations have contributed to and supported this endeavor.
Despite Mission 44 securing the largest grant in April last year, Hamilton claims that there is still a long way to go before F1 achieves true diversity. Hamilton told Racing News 365.com, “I’m not going to lie we did a team photo, I was looking and I’m like ‘Damn, we still have so much work to do’ there is three people of colour [in the photo]. ”
In addition, Hamilton had also been a staunch supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement. Throughout the 2020 F1 season, he utilized his platform to promote awareness actively. Hamilton adorned his race helmet with messages against racism. Since then, many major entities in the sport and drivers have joined him in to fight against discrimination.
