Hamilton recalls his 2021 victory at Interlagos and says he thought of the victims of the pandemic when he raised the Brazilian flag on the podium.
The seven-time Formula 1 champion also criticized, without directly mentioning Jair Bolsonaro, the "negligence of certain individuals" during the Covid-19 pandemic.
247 - Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time champion in the sport, spoke in an interview about his feelings when he won the São Paulo Grand Prix in November 2021, when he raised a Brazilian flag as he crossed the finish line and on the podium.
Hamilton, who received the title of honorary Brazilian citizen a year after his victory at Interlagos, said he felt "very proud" to raise the Brazilian flag on the podium. He revealed that he wanted to send a signal of support to the Brazilian population, which was going through the pain of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the interview, Hamilton also criticized, without directly mentioning Jair Bolsonaro, the "negligence of certain individuals" during the pandemic. According to him, this attitude led to hundreds of thousands of deaths in Brazil from Covid-19.
"I watched the news throughout the pandemic and saw the horrific stories and felt so much pain for so many people around the world that we were losing to the coronavirus. Of course, Brazil lost over half a million people during the pandemic due to the negligence of certain individuals. You could feel that there was a lot of pain in the country," said Hamilton.
"When I raised the flag on the podium, it was simply a signal to everyone in Brazil that I recognize you and appreciate you. I hoped it would lift the spirits of the nation," said Hamilton.
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