Lewis Hamilton isn’t Brazilian by birth but can call himself one of them, after being granted honorary citizenship in 2022. After receiving it, Hamilton, the most successful F1 driver of all time described it as the greatest honor he ever received. “I really feel like now I’m one of you,” he had said.
The seven-time World Champion became an honorary Brazilian citizen at the Chamber of Deputies in Brasília, where he expressed his love and respect for his idol, Ayrton Senna. Having supported Senna since he was five years old, Hamilton‘s admiration inspired him to learn more about Brazil.
“Really, through his eyes, I was able to see how passionate Brazilians were, and how deep it goes, the love and passion you have for your country, and how beautiful it is. I’m so excited to spend some more time here,” he said during the ceremony.
But why did Hamilton become an honorary Brazilian? And what does it mean?
Unlike traditional citizens, Hamilton does not have the right to vote or enjoy the other benefits that come with Brazilian citizenship. The only distinction he truly holds is being able to call himself one of Brazil’s own.
An honorary citizen of Brazil
Lewis Hamilton has always loved Interlagos #F1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/BZuwm2pnbp
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 30, 2024
That is something Hamilton takes great pride in. He truly loves Brazil, which was one of the reasons why the government decided to grant him the honor. They recognized his achievements in F1 and also took notice of how deeply he carried forward Senna’s (a Brazilian legend) legacy.
In turn, Hamilton has done everything possible to repay the love he has received from citizens of his ‘second country’.
Ahead of this weekend’s Sao Paolo GP, the Briton spoke about his love for Brazilian music during a fan-zone event, and even hinted at the possibility of making a return to music by releasing new songs.
However, Hamilton’s most emotional moment was getting behind the wheel of one of Senna’s most iconic McLaren cars.
Hamilton drove Senna’s iconic McLaren ahead of the Sao Paulo GP
While Hamilton is having a horrid weekend driving Mercedes’ W15, he certainly enjoyed taking Senna’s MP4/5B out for a spin at Interlagos. “That’s a real racing car. I would race that today if I could,” he said after driving the 1990 championship-winning car around the circuit after Qualifying.
Along with making this comment, he also put up a post on X (formerly Twitter), writing “Senna Sempre (always)” along with a picture of him with the Brazilian flag. Hamilton gave a fitting tribute to one of F1’s greatest-ever drivers.
Senna sempre ♾️ pic.twitter.com/eFilq3yOTF
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) November 3, 2024
Senna’s nephew, Bruno Senna, also appreciated the efforts Hamilton was putting in to pay tribute to his uncle this weekend, stating, “He’s always helped up keep the image and the legacy of Ayrton alive in some many ways. We’re very happy that Lewis is driving, the whole crowd is super happy as well“.
