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“Thinking of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost”: 7-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton feeling privileged to drive around historic Suzuka circuit

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"Thinking of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost": 7-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton feeling privileged to drive around historic Suzuka circuit

Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton is relishing F1’s return to the iconic Suzuka circuit after a two-season gap. 

The Suzuka circuit is one of the most iconic on the F1 calendar. It has been a mainstay for many years, but got canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Restrictions in Japan were finally eased in 2022 which saw the Japanese GP return to the schedule.

Hamilton has raced in Suzuka many times during in F1 career. However, upon the sport’s return to the track, he shared just how privileged he feels to be a part of such a historic event. In the Inside Line F1 podcast, the Mercedes driver explained how he thinks of all the former legends every time he drives at Suzuka.

“You come up to the last chicane on turn one,” Hamilton said. “Thinking of Senna and Prost. And you realize what a privilege it is. To drive at a place that has had so much history.”

Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost have had some of the best races at the Suzuka Circuit and produced some of the most heated incidents over there. This includes the infamous crash between Senna and Prost (both of whom were driving for McLaren) which decided the 1989 F1 World Title.

Also read: “Would love to see Daniel Ricciardo come in IndyCar”: Romain Grosjean feels Aussie driver should start his hustle in America

Why did Lewis Hamilton think about Prost and Senna at Suzuka?

The penultimate race of the 1989 season took place in Japan. Prost entered the race with a 16 point lead, which meant that Senna had to win to keep his Title hopes alive. If Senna won in both Japan and the subsequent race in Australia, he would win the Championship.

Unfortunately for Senna, it was Prost who was the stronger driver on the day. This led to the former taking things in his own hand, and crashing into his teammate. Prost thought that he had won the Title and began unbuckling his seatbelt, only for Senna to continue with his race.

The Brazilian F1 legend ended up finishing P1, but was disqualified after the race. Consequently, Senna would go into the final round training Prost by 16 points which meant that he couldn’t win the Title anymore.

Also read: How Williams had to pay $80,000 fine for Pastor Maldonado’s car at Japanese GP

Hamilton to start 2022 Japanese GP from P6

The 2022 season has been incredibly underwhelming for Hamilton. He has won a race every single year since making his F1 debut in 2007 but if he fails to win one in the next five, a legendary streak will be coming to an end.

After eight years of domination, Mercedes don’t have the strongest car anymore. Thus, their ability to challenge Red Bull and Ferrari has been very limited and they haven’t been able to compete for wins. The 2022 Japanese GP has been another disappointing outing up until now for Mercedes. Hamilton qualified in P6 whereas George Russell qualified P8.

Hamilton will be hoping that his W13 can find some race pace on Sunday, so that he can finish as high up as possible at a circuit which he holds in such high regard.

    About the author

    Somin Bhattacharjee

    Somin Bhattacharjee

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    Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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