Hamilton: I’ll make Senna proud
Hamilton missed out on his initial chance in last year’s Brazilian Grand Prix after cracking under the pressure brought to bear at the end of a tumultuous season.
Now he has a second opportunity to become the youngest Formula One world champion at the age of 23 years and 300 days, so beating the previous record set by former McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso.
Even Senna had to wait until he was 28 before winning the first of his three titles prior to his untimely death at the age of just 34.
The iconic Brazilian is buried at Morumbi cemetery, 10 kilometres away from the Interlagos circuit where Hamilton hopes to be crowned tomorrow.
Hamilton never met Senna, and he has yet to visit his grave, a pilgrimage he hopes to one day make when there is less attention around him.
But the affection in which he holds Senna cannot be underestimated as he said: “This is my second time here in Brazil, and each time I’ve touched down, I’ve felt a different emotion.
“It’s because he (Senna) meant so much to me in my life when I was younger, coming up through the ranks.
“I can still feel his presence, so to be mentioned in the same sentence as him is an honour.
“I don’t aim to be, nor do I believe anyone can be, another Ayrton Senna. He was one of a kind.
“But I aim to try to make him proud and be as good as he was one day.”
Hamilton yesterday set about that task, focusing on what he does best in the wake of Thursday’s emergence of a website in Spain featuring racist messages directed at the Briton.
Hamilton set the second best time behind title rival Felipe Massa in the morning session but was a lowly ninth and half a second down on Fernando Alonso in the afternoon.
The two-time world champion knocked Massa off top spot with the fastest lap of the day late on, setting a time of one minute 12.296 seconds.
Despite that, Hamilton maintains he is “very relaxed” in holding a seven-point lead over home hero Massa.
“Last year I came here with a lead, but I had a very bad race in China,” added Hamilton.
“I looked at this race and I was nervous. I had the weight of the world on my shoulders, and I had to deal with it. It was a very tough weekend.
“This weekend there is a different approach. I’ve come from a win, and I’ve matured a lot, last year and this year.
“So although it’s going to be a very tough weekend, I feel very relaxed, and we’ve another great opportunity to win the title.
“I will have to keep control of my emotions and do a solid job like I did in China.”
The problem is there are those who are seeking to undermine him, as the racist website has attempted to do, and as happened last night.
As a brand ambassador for a popular whisky, Hamilton attended the latest public relations event for their ‘Responsible Drinking’ campaign.
It should have been a straightforward function, and it was until two rival Brazilian TV comedians attempted to bring a touch of levity to the evening — sadly at Hamilton’s expense.
In the middle of a Q&A session with the television media, Rafinha Bastos, front man for comedy programme CQC, presented Hamilton with a Vasco da Gama football shirt.
The significance is that Vasco are a club from Rio de Janeiro, so when Hamilton held up the shirt in front of the cameras, after first asking ‘Is it clean?’, there were a number of boos from the three hundred-strong Sao Paulo audience.
Bastos, though, was then outshone by Vesgo, one half of television comedy duo Vesgo and Silvio.
His initial comments were friendly enough as he said: “Hamilton, we are here today to say we like you very much and we are cheering for you.
“In the name of all Brazilians who love you, we would like to give you this gift.”
At which point he threw onto the stage for Hamilton a soft toy black cat, a symbol of bad luck in Brazil.
Although Hamilton was told ‘Don’t touch it, don’t touch it’, it was too late, he had already picked it up.
As starts to a grand prix weekend go, this one has surely been tougher than he expected.
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