SAO PAULO (AFP) – Lewis Hamilton returns to the scene of one of his greatest triumphs hoping to celebrate again by giving Brazil a ‘home’ winner at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, the penultimate race this season.
The seven-time world champion was confirmed as an honorary Brazilian citizen this week and promptly declared that he felt “like now I am one of you” – a claim that Mercedes may hope helps power him and them to a first win of the season in Monday’s race.
To do that and extend his record of claiming at least one win in every season of his career since his debut in 2007, the 37-year-old Briton will need to beat the relentless runaway world champions Max Verstappen and Red Bull.
He did it last year with a spectacular demonstration of speed and courage to secure his third win at the fast and exciting Interlagos circuit, where the spectators generate a carnival atmosphere, and where he won his maiden title in 2008 as Felipe Massa scored Brazil’s last home win in a Ferrari.
But despite two consecutive second place finishes behind newly-acclaimed two-time world champion Verstappen and a mounting sense of momentum, Hamilton and the ‘silver arrows’ know they face a formidable challenge.
