Hamilton vows to race in Brazil
Win on childhood hero Ayrton Senna’s home track eludes Briton despite three titles
LEWIS Hamilton intends to climb off his sickbed to realise a childhood dream with a first victory on the native soil of his hero Ayrton Senna in Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix.
LEWIS Hamilton intends to climb off his sickbed to realise a childhood dream with a first victory on the native soil of his hero Ayrton Senna in Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix.
The three-time driver’s world champion delayed his arrival in Brazil by 24 hours on Wednesday on doctor’s orders after falling ill, but his Mercedes team made clear he has every intention of racing for his first win in Brazil at the ninth attempt.
“It was a dream of mine to race in Sao Paulo when I was younger,” he said. “I always feel his (Senna’s) presence when I am there — it is a very special race for me.
“It’s amazing to think that it took Ayrton eight attempts to win this race and it’s one of the few that I haven’t won yet myself, so if I can change that this weekend, it would be a salute to him and another highlight to add to this amazing year.
“I will be going all out to make it happen.”
Hamilton was due to take part in a news conference on Wednesday, but had to cancel due to illness after being advised not to fly by doctors.
“He’s arriving a day later than scheduled, as he was unwell,” said a Mercedes spokesman, who quashed local reports that the champion was not fit to race.
Hamilton knows he faces a tough fight to end his winless run on the Interlagos track where, in eight attempts, he has secured only two podium finishes, but where, in 2008, he claimed his maiden championship title with a fifth place.
His Mercedes teammate, Nico Rosberg, who won last year, wants to add to his victory in Mexico with another win and a fifth straight pole position.
“I want to win again,” said Rosberg. “Last year was a good battle with Lewis, when I came out on top.
“I enjoyed standing on the top step after a hard-earned win, following in the footsteps of so many great drivers who have won there and with the passionate Brazilian crowd cheering on — that was a great feeling,” Rosberg said.
Rosberg also wants to ensure he finishes second behind Hamilton in the drivers’ title race by resisting the challenge of Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari, a two-time winner in Brazil.
Ferrari’s strong season suffered a setback in Mexico, where both cars failed to finish for the first time in 184 races just as Mercedes boss Niki Lauda heaped praise on the Italian team for their muchimproved competitiveness.
“This year, to do better than Ferrari, we had to make a lot of progress. Since they introduced the updated engine at Monza, I would say that they matched us in terms of power and efficiency. The 20horsepower advantage we once had has gone,” he said.