Hamilton reminisces: "I said to myself: 'I want to be a racing driver like him'"
F1 News
- GPblog.com
With the many question marks still surrounding Hamilton's contract extension with Mercedes, the British racer reflected on the season in which he secured his seventh world title, and ramped up the fight against discrimination, both on and off the grid.
Speaking to Italy's La Gazzetta Dello Sport, Hamilton explains how seeing Ayrton Senna when he was young convinced him to become a racing driver. This was not only because of Senna's racing prowess but also because of the way Senna related to the overarching system of motorsport. Hamilton appreciates “the way [Senna] drove, the colours of his helmet, the passion with which he spoke and his victories”, he explains.
Reflecting on his youth, Hamilton continued, “I said to myself: ‘I want to become a driver like him and get to F1’ … I liked cars and I considered it the most beautiful job in the world.”
Outspoken and steadfast
Like Hamilton, Senna also had his run-ins with the institutions and authorities within motorsport, often after a fierce battle with his rival Alain Prost. Although Hamilton has been hindered in other ways and for other reasons, mostly due to his outspoken attitude and political convictions, he recognises himself in Senna's steadfast figure: “He faced alone a system that wasn’t always kind to him, something I experienced too in my career, albeit for different reasons.”