Lewis Hamilton wants to equal Ayrton Senna
World Champion in 2014, Lewis Hamilton claimed his second career title, bringing him very close to Ayrton Senna's three crowns, his idol.
Crowned world champion in 2014, Lewis Hamilton now has two titles. This number brings him closer to his lifelong idol, Ayrton Senna, who was crowned three times in 1988, 1990, and 1991.
Since his arrival in the premier discipline, the Briton has never hidden his admiration for the Brazilian driver, admiration that even inspired the design of his predominantly yellow helmet, which he wore until the end of the 2013 season, replaced this season by a predominantly white helmet.
Twice recognized this Sunday evening at the Autosport Awards, where he won the awards for International Driver and British Driver of the season, just days after winning the FIA Personality of the Year award in Doha, Lewis Hamilton did not fail to mention that he wished to follow in Senna’s footsteps: “I have always wanted to match Ayrton, so now that I have the second [title], I will work really hard to get the third.”
« Few people manage to win championships, but if I have a chance to do so, I will make sure I am ready. This second championship is the most special and important for me. The first was good, but, even though it was special, it got to a point where one championship was nice, but more is better! So, by getting the second, especially after everything I’ve been through, it’s so much better than the first and I really love that, » he explained, quoted by Autosport.
Number 44 reflected on his season, particularly his way of handling frustrations and problems: « It was not an easy year at all, but what I’m happiest about is having done everything correctly. So, that’s why it was perhaps even harder to reach the last race, because I knew the differences between the cars, I knew the differences between the results and the things that happened throughout the year. I felt like I had given so much that I had to make sure to win. »
With 16 victories and 18 pole positions in 19 races, Mercedes’ season was fulfilled thanks to one of the best cars in the history of Formula 1, the W05 Hybrid. Hamilton warns the German brand’s competitors that the team will not rest on its laurels: « There is one thing: this team is the best. We want to be the best next year. There’s a lot of work to do, and I trust them. We’re going to tackle it diligently. It’s not just about coming back next year as world champions. It starts from zero: we want to return and we want to be even stronger next year. We must make humble beginnings. »
