“I think it’s the colours, the culture, and the players always just looked the most skilled, they were so cool. I just appreciate where they come from.

“Many of the players come from the streets where they play with no shoes and there’s something quite special about Brazilian culture.”

The British driver received his honorary citizenship shortly after being knighted by King Charles III. In addition to his fondness for F1 legend Senna, Hamilton has struck up a friendship with Brazilian football icon Neymar.

In 2022, when giving a speech in Sao Paulo, Hamilton said of the country: “I want to spend more time in Brazil. There is such a beautiful culture here.

Meanwhile, Hamilton will want a smoother race in Sao Paulo after jostling with team-mate Charles Leclerc for position in Mexico. The experienced driver made his feelings clear in a lengthy post on social media.

Writing on Instagram, Hamilton said: “We’ve grown so much together this year, and that progress has taken a huge effort from everyone on the track and back at the factory. That’s why losing what could’ve been a win hurts so much. We need to grasp every opportunity we have, so it’s incredibly frustrating, and I can’t pretend otherwise.”

He added: “We’re all here to race and want to win. Battling is necessary, but when that battle costs the team, we have to be honest about it and learn from it. We can push each other to the limit and still honour the responsibility to everyone who put us on that track.”