Lewis Hamilton faces fan pushback for his 'driver with a Brazilian flag' claim

Ahead of the Brazilian GP weekend, Lewis Hamilton said in an interview that he would fulfill his idol's wish of driving around Sao Paulo in a red overall with a Brazilian flag for the first time in a Ferrari. However, with the Briton seemingly forgetting about Rubens Barrichello and Felipe Massa and their tenures at the Scuderia, he has faced backlash from F1 fandom for the same.

Growing up, Hamilton made Senna his idol in F1. Moreover, moving up the racing ladder, his race helmet often carried an essence of the three-time champion' helmet designs.

This continued for several years, and with his first Brazilian GP with Ferrari just around the corner, the Briton is aiming to don the Brazilian flag colors once again. He revealed in an interview with GQ how he plans to fulfill Senna's wishes, as he said:

'It’s a strange feeling because I remember growing up watching Ayrton and, like everyone else, always wondering what it would have been like if Ayrton had driven a Ferrari. And now, for the first time, you will see a helmet with the Brazilian flag driving around São Paulo in a Ferrari."

However, Hamilton had wrongly mentioned how this instance would be the first time a Brazilian flag would earn its space in the Ferrari garage, as Rubens Barrichello and Felipe Massa had been former Brazilians who had driven for the Italian giant. This led fans to share their thoughts on social media, as they wrote:

"Grew up watching?!? You were 6 when he won his last championship. You were literally 9 when he tragically passed away. And you remember all that? Also Massa in Brazil in a Ferrari. Rubens in Brazil in a Ferrari. A Brazilian in Brazil in a Ferrari," one fan wrote. "I love Lewis, but that's a misconception," another fan wrote. "Lewis pretending Massa doesn't even exist is hilarious 🤣," another netizen shared.

Fans further added:

"Excuse me, sir?" a netizen wrote. "Uh, lewis...first time?" another netizen wrote. "Massa and Barrichello were real Brazilian Ferrari drivers," a third netizen shared.

On the other hand, this weekend marks Lewis Hamilton's 18th visit to the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace in Interlagos.

---

How has Lewis Hamilton performed at the Brazilian GP over the years?

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton ahead of the 2025 F1 Grand Prix of Brazil race weekend - Source: Getty

Lewis Hamilton has made 17 starts at the Interlagos Circuit previously. While this year would be his first time taking to the track in the red overalls, he has been a fierce contender in Brazil for the past few years.

In his past 17 visits, he has emerged victorious three times and has stood on the podium seven times. His last visit to the rostrum at the circuit came back in 2022.

So, Lewis Hamilton would be aiming for his first Grand Prix with Ferrari at the fabled track to go down in his favor, as he has not scored a podium so far this year. This would help him end his unfortunate streak of not scoring a top-three finish with the team, which has been going on for the past 20 race weekends.

Edited by Geetansh Pasricha