Lewis Hamilton is one of the greatest Formula One racers of all time. His passion and drive for the sport makes him one of the most memorable persons in the history of sport. He has won seven titles. The British racer is a stern supporter of LGBTIA+, fights patriarchal norms and racist ideologies. He is also very vocal about climate change.
On Thursday, The Brazilian Congress passed the historic declamation. According to which, Lewis will become an honorary citizen of Brasil. Hamilton expressed support for the move in April, when he visited Sao Paulo to deliver a keynote speech at a business and digital transformation event, saying he would be honoured.
Congressman Andre Figueiredo initially proposed the idea in November, following Hamilton’s victory at Interlagos last year. He proudly immersed himself in the green and yellow of Brasil flag at the podium and also the victory lap. Because of his F1 racing and his admiration for three-time world champion and local hero Ayrton Senna, who died in an accident at Imola, Italy in 1994, Hamilton has a large following in Brazil.
“Today I was granted honorary citizenship to one of my favourite places in the world,” Hamilton, who is racing this weekend in Azerbaijan, told his 28.4 million Instagram followers.
“I don’t really have the words right now. Thank you, Brazil; I adore you and can’t wait to see you again.”
The vote in Congress was largely symbolic, as the debate lasted only about 10 minutes. However, some members of Congress criticised the bill.
“I recognise Lewis Hamilton’s achievements…but this bill makes clear that we are not addressing Brazil’s structural problems as a priority,” New Party leader Tiago Mitraud said.
