A Brazilian politician hailed Lewis Hamilton as an eight-time world champion after being 'corrected' by fans as the Brit became an honorary citizen.
Ahead of F1’s penultimate race of the season in Sao Paulo, the Mercedes driver received the prestigious honour of becoming an honorary Brazilian citizen, including a corresponding medal, at Brazil’s Congress chamber in Brasilia in front of hundreds of ecstatic fans.
During the ceremony, the president of the Chamber of Deputies Arthur Lira, made a reference to the controversial outcome of the 2021 world champion title race. The 53-year-old stated that Hamilton was "robbed" and addressed him as an "eight-time world champion", much to the delight of the Mercedes driver and those in attendance.
He described Hamilton as “a Briton by birth and a Brazilian by heart” and called him “a hero for all Brazilians”. Lira added: “Brazilian role models like Senna and Hamilton make us sure that every Brazilian can overcome challenges and win the races in life. I hope you return many times to this country that is also your country now."
Beaming with pride, Hamilton expressed his happiness at having such a special honour bestowed upon him. “It is honestly the greatest honour for me to be here receiving and accepting the citizenship,” said the F1 legend. “I really do feel like now I’m one of you, finally.
“When I arrived here in 2007, the love that’s grown through the experiences we’ve had, and particularly 2021, knowing you guys would cheer me on the way was one of the most special moments of my entire life.” A year after Hamilton raced in Brazil for the first time, he won his maiden championship on the final corner of the country's Grand Prix in 2008.
In 2021, Hamilton produced one of the finest performances of his career as he secured a remarkable recovery ahead of Max Verstappen. The Englishman found himself in last place heading into Saturday's sprint, however an impressive showing there saw him gain 15 spots to finish fifth.
This, alongside his grid penalty, saw him start Sunday's race in 10th, but he rose to the challenge and flew past the rest of the field to secure one of his great victories, and celebrated with the Brazilian flag in front of the raucous home crowd.
Hamilton has cited late Brazilian hero Ayrton Senna as his hero and received a special gift when the Senna family gave him a helmet of his idol after Hamilton equalled his 65th pole position in 2017. Following this achievement, he wrote on Instagram at the time: "In absolute disbelief of what's happened today. God is truly the greatest. My wildest dreams have come true, and I am so GRATEFUL!"
Hamilton has yet to win a race this season, but with the Sao Paulo GP this weekend, it would be a fitting venue for the motorsport stalwart to break his duck in 2022.
