Lewis Hamilton's association with Brazil could be set to get stronger with the F1 icon on the verge of becoming an honorary citizen.
Hamilton, 37, has never made any secret of his love for the South American country, and has regularly sported racing helmets with its national colours on when racing at Interlagos. After winning at the venue in 2021, he took a Brazilian flag with him onto the podium.
Explaining his helmet design last year, Hamilton said it was a tribute to the legendary Ayrton Senna, who he described as his "greatest inspiration" in F1. It was the way he raced, his passion for life and for the sport," he said.
“But more than anything it was the way he faced alone a system that wasn't always kind to him." Senna won three world titles before he died after a tragic race accident in Imola in 1994, aged just 34.
Hamilton could soon be about to have more in common with his hero than F1 success. A bill to make the 37-year-old an honorary citizen is pending in the lower house of the Brazilian parliament - but has yet to be voted on.
The notion was proposed by congressman Andre Figueiredo after last year’s Grand Prix, where the crowd chanted Hamilton's name along with that of Senna. Indeed, the Mercedes man has vowed to visit the country more regularly.
''I want to spend more time in Brazil. There is such a beautiful culture here. I've only been to Rio (de Janeiro) and Sao Paulo, but I want to come back here for Christmas, New Year or something like that,'' Hamilton was quoted as saying by Reuters.
“Neymar invites me every year, and [pro surfer] Gabriel [Medina] invites me every year, but I never had the chance - I’m waiting for my Brazilian passport.” Whilst that quip may have been made in jest, Hamilton made no secret of his feelings about potentially becoming a citizen.
On Wednesday, he responded to the news by posting 84 Brazilian flag emojis on Twitter. He also posted an image from his last win in Sao Paulo, where he held the Brazil flag aloft on his victory lap.
He also retweeted an article reporting on the development along with the line "I'd be honoured," with a heart emoji. Indeed, the global appeal of the British driver remains strong, despite his difficult start to the new campaign.
With the Silver Arrows struggling for pace, Hamilton is fifth after three races with just 28 points. After finishing third in Bahrain, he was then inexplicably eliminated from Q1 in Saudi Arabia.
He finished 10th in the Grand Prix the following day, before taking fourth place in Australia last Sunday. It means his hopes of an unprecedented eighth championship crown are already under threat, with overall leader Charles Leclerc 43 points clear of him.
