Fans react to Lewis Hamilton driving ‘legendary’ ex-Ayrton Senna McLaren around Interlagos

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Lewis Hamilton was handed the opportunity of a lifetime during the build-up to the Sao Paulo Grand Prix when he drove an ex-Ayrton Senna McLaren around the Interlagos circuit.

The car which was used in the 1990 season by Senna when he won his second title for McLaren was the MP4-6 and was driven by the seven-time world champion after qualifying for the Sao Paulo GP.

The run was originally planned for Saturday but was cancelled along with qualifying due to the weather conditions.

There were also some questions over whether Hamilton would get the run in at all considering the condensed schedule, but it went ahead as planned.

Fans took to social media to react to the iconic moment as Hamilton drove the car in front of the adoring Brazilian crowd.

Fans react to Lewis Hamilton driving ex-Ayrton Senna 1990 title-winning car at Sao Paulo GP

Some fans reacted to the demonstration run on social media, with one user commenting “This is legendary” on X (formerly Twitter).

Another was able to see the funny side after his poor qualifying performance, which saw Hamilton only set the 14th fastest time: “That car probably runs better than what he drove for quali…”

One user felt a sense of nostalgia seeing Hamilton in the car that Senna drove: “This make me cry a lots… I was a child when Ayrton started driving a Formula 1 car… I followed each challenge between Senna and Prost… I met Ayrton in Bologna at “premiazione dei Caschi d’oro” I convinced my family to go to Bologna Motor Show that year… I could never forget his “I only have sixth gear!!”

Speaking on Instagram, several users commented that they wanted to see the noise of the V10 engine return to F1: “Bring THAT noise back” while another said “Bring back the V10s NOW.”

Another user also commented on how apt it was seeing Hamilton in the car and the emotions: “The rain. The car. The flag. I can’t stop crying.”

Lewis Hamilton calls run ’emotional’ and ‘greatest honour’

Hamilton was understandably emotional after the run given the reception he received from the Brazilian crowd and driving an F1 legend’s car.

The seven-time world champion said the run brought back memories from his childhood watching Senna, who was one of his heroes.

“I’m very emotional. I was just resisting my childhood watching Ayrton race here and revisiting that sound. I just couldn’t believe had the chance to do that, it is the greatest honour of my career,” said Hamilton.

It is the second time Hamilton has driven one of Senna’s cars having previously done so for a Top Gear special in 2010.