“I always have him in spirit with me,” Lewis Hamilton said in Imola this year, on the 30th anniversary of Ayrton Senna’s passing. The Brazilian racer was the Briton’s first idol and meant the world to him. Still does. But the 3-time champion’s untimely death while racing in Imola shattered the then-9-year-old Hamilton, who cried “for weeks” after that.

Despite him leaving the world in 1994, Senna remains ubiquitous in today’s F1. He has been the greatest source of inspiration for many drivers on the grid, including Hamilton. Fortuitously, in 2022, because of his achievements in Sau Paolo, the 7-time champion was granted honorary citizenship for the country where his idol grew up and flourished. In his latest interview with Elle magazine, Hamilton opened up on his special relationship with Senna and Brazil.

After pouring love on the “diverse country” that he loves, Hamilton affirmed how he is an honorary citizen, but doesn’t know their language. “Yes, (but) I need to learn Portuguese,” he promised his die-hard Brazilian fans, letting out a laugh. He then delved deeper into the origin of his idolizing Senna. “I started watching the races when I spent the weekends with my father. I remember starting to watch them around the age of 4. I was a very active boy and getting me to sit down was not easy. But for some reason, I would stop with him for the Grand Prix. Ayrton’s toy car models were what I wanted for Christmas. When I watched his videos, I felt like I understood the things he represented, how honest he was. I wanted to drive like he did. I felt a connection,” he vulnerably added.

But this unbridled attachment to Senna meant heartbreak was near. “I remember I was racing (karting) the day he died and my father came to tell me the news. It knocked me down. At 9 years old, I hadn’t had that experience yet,” Hamilton described. “I remember crying for weeks. It was hard and strange because I didn’t know him. He wasn’t from my country, but he meant so much to me. Over the years, I’ve grown to love the person he was.”

Even in 2020, Hamilton had shared his account of the day he got this tragic news. He recalled trying to walk away from his father, who “wouldn’t let him cry.” One can imagine how tough it must have been for a 9-year-old boy to get to terms with such a devastating happening. But 23 years after that, he felt the most magical feeling ever when the Senna family bestowed upon him the ultimate honor.

When Ayrton Senna’s family gave Lewis Hamilton the “most special” gift of his life

In 2017, the 7-time champion (then 4-time champion) leveled his idol by taking his 65th Pole in Montreal. During the post-race interview, he was presented with Ayrton Senna‘s iconic yellow helmet. Hamilton couldn’t believe his eyes and was utterly grateful to the Senna family for this gift.

“I am shaking,” the Mercedes driver said with the helmet in his hands. “Ayrton is the one who inspired me to be where I am. To match him and receive this is the greatest honor. For the Senna family to send me this… is the most special thing I have above and beyond all my trophies and everything. I am honored to be honored by that family and honestly, I couldn’t be happier.”

Senna’s niece, Bianca, also shared a soul-stirring tribute message for Hamilton. “Our family is very happy with his achievements and I’m sure Ayrton would be in Montreal to deliver this gift, absolutely content in seeing his record being equaled by a driver as talented as Lewis.”

17 years into his career, Hamilton has achieved what his idol was capable of, if not for the tragic, fatal incident. His consistency and relentless pursuit of achieving his record-breaking 8th title with Ferrari is a testament to the love for F1 that Senna instilled in him.