'That's why Brazilian fans love Hamilton'

Lewis Hamilton has won the hearts of many Brazilians. According to Emerson Fittipaldi, Brazilian fans' love for Hamilton comes from driving with the flag in 2021 and also his respect for Ayrton Senna.

After the 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix, it was clear who Brazilian fans preferred in the battle for the world title. Hamilton was loudly applauded, whereas Max Verstappen had to make do with a lot of boos and whistles. According to Fittipaldi, there were two reasons for this.

Win for Hamilton

''I think Lewis from the beginning always declared that he was the biggest Ayrton Senna fan and last year he took the Brazilian flag. He touched a lot of Brazilian hearts with that. He also went to see Ayrton's cemetery during his first or second time in Brazil. He paid tribute to Ayrton. I think all of that makes the Brazilian people like him a lot,'' Fittipaldi said at Vegasinsider.com.

Whereas Hamilton battled for the world title with Verstappen in 2021, Hamilton has yet to record a win at all this year. However, the two-time world champion thinks that could change at the upcoming Brazilian Grand Prix.

''Mercedes has been improving for the last few Grands Prix. He's been having solid results for the last few races. He has a good chance in Brazil for sure. It could be the first win of the year for Mercedes. He also has a chance to win in Abu Dhabi, if not win in Brazil,'' the former F1 driver concluded.