Lewis Hamilton says the chance to ride around Imola was “heart-warming” despite the “harsh reminder” of Ayrton Senna’s death in 1994.
This weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix marks the first time in 14 years that Formula 1 will race at the Italian circuit, a gap even longer than Hamilton’s F1 career as the Briton was competing in GP2 in 2006.
And while visually, Imola might have changed a lot since then, the layout remains almost identical, so heading out on his scooter on Friday, it wasn’t long before Lewis found himself at Tamburello, the site of Senna’s accident.
“Obviously, the history of 1994 is something we always remember,” said Hamilton via RaceFans.
“I went around today and it was a really special lap, just going around and seeing this historic track, passing the harsh reminder of where Ayrton crashed.
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“It is very surreal still for me when I go to places where you drive through the tunnel in Monaco, you drive through the British Grand Prix where you know that the greats in the past had raced at those places,” he added.
“Earlier on I was in an area that many years, 26 years ago, Ayrton was here doing what he loved as I am. So in one way that’s heart-warming to know that I was able to be here and do what he was doing 26 years ago but otherwise it’s just another race.”
It is well-known how much of a hero Senna was to Hamilton, who for much of his racing career has worn a yellow helmet which was inspired by the Brazilian.
And so when asked about the day of Senna’s death, it is unsurprising that the memories remain very clear.
“I was racing at Rye House in karting,” he said. “My dad had a red Vauxhall Cavalier and we had a white box trailer with a gas heater shoved at the deep end of the trailer and I was helping my dad fix the kart, changing the wheel. I think I was helping to do the bolts up on the rear wheel of my cadet kart.
“I don’t know how he got the news but someone told him that Ayrton had died and I remember I had to walk away from my dad because my dad would never let me cry in front of him. So I had to go to a different place and it was not so easy.
“I remember trying to channel that that sadness into my driving and I think I won that weekend. But the following weeks were very tough,” he admitted.
Of course, having never competed in F1 at Imola, this weekend offers the chance for Hamilton to follow in the footsteps of Senna, who won the San Marino GP three times.