FIA’s 2008 Gala review video is heavy on the Hamilton-Senna references
Comparisons between Lewis Hamilton and Ayrton Senna never fail to raise the heckles of Hamilton-haters. But if this video from the FIA’s end-of-season awards ceremony is anything to go by, they’re keen to play up those connections as much as possible:
Does it really matter if Hamilton considers Senna his hero? I can’t get as worked up about it as some people do. But it seems Hamilton himself is unsure how much he should play up the connection.
Although it is often suggested his yellow helmet design is a nod to Senna’s, Hamilton says they simply chose a colour that was easy to pick out in a crowd. Earlier this year he denied reports he’d said he was better than Senna.
But he seems increasingly willing to play up the connections. In this video Hamilton says he “sometimes I wonder if [Senna]‘s with me” in the cockpit. In an interview with MotorSport last month he said:
I’ve always felt I had a connection with [Senna], that we’re somehow similar – I do crazy things other people wouldn’t do, and I feel I have an edge, too. I feel I share something with him – I seem to be able to draw a lot from the way he comes across, in interviews, and so on.
He was such as fighter, that was the thing – I don’t think he was ever one to drive half-heartedly. He was always looking for perfection and, yeah, he was a warrior – and that was what I liked about him.
Hamilton it just one of several drivers who’s named Senna as a hero – Fernando Alonso also has. But I find these semi-spiritual ‘it’s like he’s there with me’ musings a bit too much.
Read more about Lewis Hamilton: Lewis Hamilton biography
beneboy said on 16th December 2008, 13:30
I think we should also remember that Senna died when Lewis was 9 years old when Lewis had been karting for a year.
At that age Senna would have been like a God to a young karter, I was a teenager at the time and his death was a very significant event in my life at the time.
Lewis doesn’t have the advantage of having seen the bad and the ugly of Senna live, since his death most of what you see about him has been produced as a memorial to him by people who are Senna fans and they obviously concentrate on the great drives & the inspirational interviews.
I can see why Lewis would want to be like him and the comparison doesn’t really bother me either, they’ve said it about every other driver so why not Lewis ?
It’s just the same as the George Best comparisons we get with Rooney & every other decent British footballer.
Antifia said on 16th December 2008, 16:10
The problem about LH, if you are not a British fan of course, is exactly this over-the-top hipe about him. I mean, the guy is an awesome driver that brought something truly especial to F1, but you cannot but feel good when he messes it up just to see the likes of Murray Walker, Jack Steward and Andrew Davis fall flat on their faces. About the comparison to Senna, well, I don’t think LH so much compares himself to Senna at this stage as he aspires to become as good as him in the course of his career. It is tough target though – Schumacher broke all records in the book, and very few people put him at the same level as Senna. But who knows? The guy is still very young.
@ Teamorders: Great comment about Hamiton (or Massa) haters label. Actualy it made me wonder that since LH only defeated Massa by, say, 400 meters (the distance between Junção and the finish line in Brazil) over the course of a whole season, and in a Mclaren (that was voted the best car of the year), probably those who think that LH is in the best-ever-driver league also think Massa is there too – that would give the word lunatic a whole new meaning….
@ Rob: Senna actually raced against Schumacher, Keke, Lauda and Hill throught his career (not to mention Mansel, Prost and Piquet) – and he was head and shoulders above the best among them. Which does not include D. Hill – he was rubish, the worse driver I’ve ever seen winning a F1 championship. He only got it because it was one of those years in which there was just one top team (Williams) and his teamate was JV in his rookie year. And even then he had to sweat three shades of gray to pull it off.
@Lustigson: Nobody will ever compare Kimi with Hunt. Seriously, don’t worry about that.
Nelson said on 16th December 2008, 17:31
Senna was great. Senna was one of the best. Senna is Hamilton’s hero.
There are a lot of young drivers who will have Hamilton as their hero.
So…
;-)
Chaz said on 16th December 2008, 19:03
cool
Justin said on 17th December 2008, 11:05
Fantastic,but Senna should’t be put with Hamilton
sumedh said on 17th December 2008, 12:03
If anyone on the grid comes close to Senna; it has to be Kimi Raikkonnen. (Not in Kimi’s current form; but overall)
beneboy said on 17th December 2008, 13:09
sumedh, now that is a conversation starter :~)
To be honest I don’t think any of the current drivers are really like Senna, times have changed and so have drivers.
I don’t think this is limited to Senna though, I don’t think there’s any one like Jackie Stewart, James Hunt or Gilles Villeneuve in the current group of drivers.
AmericanTifosi said on 17th December 2008, 22:12
The Senna comparisons are worthless. They shouldn’t compare the sport’s greatest personality with the man without a personality. Hamilton is good, Senna was a genius.