Lewis Hamilton Ayrton Senna Tribute: When And How To Watch - LIVE HERE

Lewis Hamilton will honor his idol Ayrton Senna by driving Senna's historic McLaren at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Oct 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team driver Lewis Hamilton (44) of Team Great Britain signs a shirt for a fan during the driver’s parade before the 2024 Formula One US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton is set to honor his idol, Ayrton Senna, in a moving tribute during the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend later today. Scheduled for after the qualifying session at the Interlagos circuit, this homage will see Hamilton piloting the iconic McLaren MP4/5B, the car that Senna drove to clinch the 1990 World Championship.

Ayrton Senna claimed three World Championships during his illustrious career in 1988, 1990, and 1991. Renowned for his exceptional skills, particularly in wet conditions, and a fierce rivalry with Alain Prost, Senna's career was tragically cut short after his death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.

The tribute by Hamilton is a significant part of broader Senna commemorations this year, including those at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, where Sebastian Vettel drove a 1993 McLaren. These events not only honor Senna but also remember Roland Ratzenberger, who also lost his life during the same fateful 1994 race weekend.

Hamilton’s tribute will be streaming on platforms like YouTube at 17:15 local time (20:15 GMT). The tribute will also be broadcast on Sky Sports F1.

Hamilton has been open with his admiration for Senna and how much of an influence he had on his racing career. Speaking to the media ahead of the race weekend, the seven-time champion explained:

“Every time we come here it’s an opportunity to do that, and I think so many of the drivers also do that.

“But I never in a million years thought I’d ever get to drive Senna’s car here. I remember someone contacted me, my manager told me about it, and I jumped at the opportunity. Back in the day when I was at McLaren I did get the chance to drive the MP4/4 around Silverstone, which was incredible."

He continued:

“Just the thought of driving that car around here… I remember the races when he finally won here and held the flag. It will definitely be quite an emotional experience and I hope people are here to see it. I had a helmet made, his helmet made, I don’t know if we’re using that one.

“I think the initial hope was for it to be a surprise – I would have an all-white suit and his helmet and go out and drive the lap and it would just look like it was him out there, but somehow it got out there. It's impossible to keep things quiet!”