BRAZIL: At a ceremony in Brasilia, the nation’s capital, the government of Brazil conferred its official citizenship to Lewis Hamilton.
The discussions regarding awarding citizenship to the 7-time World Champion first surfaced after he won the Brazilian Grand Prix last year, his third victory at the track where he had won the Drivers’ Championship for the first time in 2008.
Congressman Andre Figueiredo suggested conferring citizenship to the Mercedes driver after Lewis Hamilton raised the Brazilian flag behind him as he celebrated on the podium, expressing his passion for the nation that was the home of his idol, Ayrton Senna.
Lewis Hamilton had previously joked that he was waiting for his passport after the news of his citizenship approval was confirmed. The decision was finalised a few days before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in June, earlier this year.
The Mercedes driver went to the Chamber of Deputies in Brazil to receive his honorary citizenship now that he is back in Brazil to race, with the penultimate round of the 2022 campaign taking place in Sao Paulo.
According to sources, Lewis Hamilton addressed the crowd at the ceremony, saying, “I feel like now I’m one of you.”
Lewis Hamilton, who has a record-breaking 103 Grands Prix victories to his name, looked dapper in a blue suit. He received a diploma and the Brazilian legislative medal of merit.
Hamilton also gave a speech in which he thanked his fans and dedicated the honour to Senna.
Hamilton said that Brazil is a special place for him. He mentioned his 2021 race win at the Interlagos circuit, saying that one of the most important experiences of his life was knowing that the people of Brazil would support him even under challenging circumstances.
Lewis Hamilton registered a come-from-behind victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix last year. After being disqualified from qualification and starting from the back of the grid due to rear-wing regulation failure, he made up 15 places in the sprint race. He took another 5-place grid penalty for a new engine.
He drove a beautifully controlled race and overtook Max Verstappen before winning the exhilarating Brazilian Grand Prix.
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