And Hamilton fulfilled a childhood dream
The winner of the 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix was clearly moved when speaking to journalists yesterday in Sao Paulo. Aside from the ongoing battle with Nico Rosberg, the defending champion took stock of a situation in which every point counts...
Lewis Hamilton could hardly have won a Brazilian Grand Prix more challenging in terms of weather conditions! Like all his fellow competitors, he was hardly spared by the rain that fell continuously on the Interlagos track throughout the 71 laps. Fortunately for him, his pole position narrowly achieved against Rosberg converted into a victory. The first of his career here, on his tenth attempt already.
His first words turned to his idol, shared with the entire Brazilian people, Ayrton Senna: It took a long time, but the wait was definitely worth it. I remember watching Ayrton win here in 1991. I thought then: that’s what I want to do one day! I shared his emotion; I can now understand what he felt. It was the 44th Grand Prix here, so it’s really a special victory for me. Winning in front of this crowd… It’s a moment I’ll never forget, I still can’t believe it happened.
10yrs in the making…
Victory at the home of his idol…#Hamilton x #Senna#F1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/Vn6s7EcEqH— MERCEDES AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) 13 novembre 2016
The triple world champion controlled the race throughout, which was interrupted twice. Without any mistakes, he crossed the finish line as the winner for the 52nd time in his career. Now, he is solely second in the pantheon of Formula 1, surpassing Alain Prost’s 51 victories. He now embarks on the chase for the absolute benchmark of 91 victories: Michael Schumacher. « It’s crazy to grow up watching the Grand Prix on the couch eating bacon sandwiches and one day surpassing the number of victories of Alain Prost or Ayrton Senna, it doesn’t seem real to me! »
More calmly, he also reflected on his race itself. Paradoxically, he didn’t seem much affected by the epic and choppy scenario of this race: «It’s crazy – all these years have been so difficult for me here. In fact, today’s victory was one of the easiest I’ve ever won. Of course, with these conditions, I could have easily made a mistake. But I was generally relaxed today, I kept things under control. I love driving in the rain! It comes from my years of racing in England when I was a child.»
Marked by two red flags, this race was briefly under scrutiny. Even the drivers didn’t seem to understand those long minutes of waiting. The triple world champion was not the last to demand that the pack be released: « The first red flag was understandable because people had gone off the track. For the second, however, the track was ready for intermediates, the safety car stayed out forever. It was unnecessary to have it on track, we could have started earlier. But safety is paramount, the stewards certainly felt that way. »
Skilled, the winner of this twentieth round managed to find the words to rally the team a bit more to his cause: « Each race weekend, we try to bring a new piece of history, we have proven that we are by far the best team in every area. Our hospitality is the best, our food is the best, our guys in the garage are the best, the guys at the factory are the best, our cars are the best… »
Now, on to Abu Dhabi and the grand finale of this year 2016. Lewis Hamilton knows that to achieve the impossible and dethrone Rosberg, he will first need to win, then rely on at least two other cars to be positioned between him and the German. Given Mercedes’ dominance, he will also need a bit of luck. A clever conclusion by the ex-McLaren driver, who is already relieving himself of any pressure: « All I can do is focus and be strong as I have been in these last races. If I do that, I know in my heart what I will have accomplished this year. »
Obviously, if Lewis Hamilton delivers a stellar performance in Abu Dhabi, he could end this season with the feeling of a job well done. Let’s remember that his engine failure in Sepang weighs heavily in the balance. By adding this victory and a fourth place for Rosberg (instead of the third he actually secured), Hamilton would have 380 points, Rosberg 364. Yet it is indeed Rosberg who leads the real standings of this world championship, with a 12-point lead over the Briton. But retirements due to mechanical failure are indeed part of the ruthless game that is Formula 1.
#BrazilGP message 👈🏽 https://t.co/yEAkUtakhC@MercedesAMGF1 📸 x @suttonimages pic.twitter.com/KBffWUQkFK
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) November 13, 2016
