Neymar issues one-word reaction to Lewis Hamilton’s Ayrton Senna tribute at Sao Paulo Grand Prix

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Lewis Hamilton had the opportunity to drive one of Ayrton Senna’s title-winning McLaren cars at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix last weekend. Hamilton described it as the greatest honour of his life.

The late Senna, who won three world championships, is widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time. He was Hamilton’s idol when he started watching the sport as a child.

Before the race, it emerged that Hamilton would drive the 1990 MP4/5B as a tribute to Senna, 30 years on from his fatal accident. He beat his McLaren teammate Alain Prost to the title that year, winning six out of 16 races.

The season ended in controversial fashion as Senna and Prost collided at the first corner of the Japanese Grand Prix. With the Brazilian ahead in the standings at what was the penultimate race, he sealed the title.

He finished third in his home Grand Prix in 1990 before finally winning it the following season. Hamilton held that Brazilian flag in the cockpit as he completed his demonstration run on Sunday, emulating Senna’s 1991 celebrations.

The ceremony, initially planned for Saturday evening after qualifying, was briefly in jeopardy following the downpour. But organisers were able to hold it before the rescheduled race, with Hamilton careful not to damage a piece of F1 history in the wet conditions.

Neymar hails ‘legends’ Lewis Hamilton and Ayrton Senna

Even though he memorably denied home hero Felipe Massa the championship at the final corner of the 2008 Brazilian GP, Hamilton is hugely popular in the South American nation. He was made an honorary citizen in 2022.

Among his high-profile friends is football superstar Neymar. Formerly of Santos, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, he now plays for Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia.

Neymar shared a photo of Hamilton’s Senna tribute on his Instagram account, together with a picture of Senna. He simply captioned it ‘legends’.

Hamilton commented with the Brazilian flag, a red heart and the prayer emoji. He may have cemented his status as one of the most loved international athletes in the country.

The song Brazilian Grand Prix fans were singing when Franco Colapinto passed Lewis Hamilton

Perhaps the only driver who received a louder reception than Hamilton was Franco Colapinto. With no Brazilians on the grid – Gabriel Bortoleto will race for Sauber in 2025 to end an eight-year wait – cheering for the Argentine was the next best thing.

Many of his fellow countrymen flocked to the circuit, by far the closest race to Buenos Aires. F1TV presenter Will Buxton called Colapinto’s support ‘astounding’.

Colapinto passed Hamilton at one point during the race, capitalising when the seven-time world champion ran wide. He ultimately crashed out, but this was a memorable moment nonetheless.

Ted Kravitz heard the crowd’s Colapinto chant – “Ole, ole, ole, ole, Franco” – and it could become a fixture in years to come. That, of course, will rely on the 21-year-old finding a permanent seat.