Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Imola, 2020

Hamilton: Senna diamond trophy for Imola win is a “definitely a keeper”

2020 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix

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Lewis Hamilton said his trophy for winning the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, which features a commemoration of the place where his hero Ayrton Senna died, is one he will treasure.

The trophies awarded to the top finishers in yesterday’s race incorporate a map of the circuit including a diamond to mark the spot where Senna died in a crash during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. Hamilton was nine years old at the time.

“We’ve not had a race here for a long time [and] it is where I remember the day when I was in karting in ’94 at Rye House when Ayrton passed away,” said Hamilton. “So to think that we’re here, 26 years later, to be able to win here as he had done many times, yes, the trophy definitely is a keeper.”

“And it felt it had good weight to it so it didn’t feel like a ‘cheapy’,” he added.

Some drivers have criticised the quality of trophies awarded at some races in recent years, particularly those incorporating sponsor logos.

“There was a time when trophies were, from the young days, from karting, little plastic [things],” said Hamilton. “But they’re so special, they all had such a great meaning.

“Then as you get through the categories they would get nicer, they would get more expensive and you got to Formula 1 and they were so stunning. But then we went through a patch where they really did a cost-cutting scheme and we had some really dodgy, really flimsy trophies, those ones did not survive the time.”

Mercedes, Imola, 2020
The trophies pictures out of their presentation cases at Mercedes’ post-race celebrations

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2020 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix

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23 comments on “Hamilton: Senna diamond trophy for Imola win is a “definitely a keeper””

  1. In my opinion it’s tasteless and even more so because they didn’t include Ratzenberger in the trophy. Either don’t do it or do it for all drivers that have died on the circuit…

    1. As tragic as it was, Senna is a far bigger figure in f1s past than Ratzenberger but i guess virtue signalling ( not my favourite phrase but appropriate in this case) is alive and well. I thought it was a nice touch on a driver who touched millions around the globe with his driving and his force of personality. Good and bad.

    2. Well, i’m not really surprised Hamilton likes it. Love him or hate him, the guy’s taste is kinda tacky

  2. I thought it one of the best trophies Ive seen. And I noticed with this one Ham never even attempted to throw it in the air.
    But diamond wise, surely the question should have been two diamonds or none?

    1. My preference diamond-wise :

      1. (most preferred) : None. It would be better not to sadden anyone who looks at such a trophy, trophies generally should bring up happy memories. I found this trophy pretty, but the diamond saddened me.
      2. If they really want to remember this way, it would have been better to place two diamonds, one for Ratzenberger as well.
      3. (least preferred) One diamond, because of the aforementioned reasons.

      Apart from this I liked this trophy, but it would be better to abstract these sad memories away from a trophy.

  3. Joe Pineapples
    2nd November 2020, 9:06

    Noticed on Ted’s Notebook, (during Mercedes post race photo session), one of the trophies had some bits of masking tape on, like it was holding the track rim part in place. Didn’t last that long then ;)

    1. Joe Pineapples
      2nd November 2020, 9:07

      *infact you can see it in above photo*

      1. @joepineapples I think that’s confetti?

        1. Yeah, it looks pretty much like that is just wet confetti @joepineapples

          1. Joe Pineapples
            2nd November 2020, 12:19

            No, the tape was there before they let rip with the confetti stuff https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34vq7A0nyLE

  4. Thought I heard Hamilton say they were still working on the trophies after the race. Just noticed its engraved with his name.

    1. Well, i get that they had to somehow turn verstappen into ricciardo but other than that there is no reason they couldn’t have done that ahead of time

  5. I think this is due to marketing strategies.
    In an attempt to promote F1 as a sport to new generations a ‘golden age’ narrative has to be built, no different from biblical narrative. Golden age needs heroes and Senna with his ‘supernatural’ allure is the perfect character for the role. This has put Ayrton on a ‘saint quality’ level that overshadows most of the drivers/event of his era. As a result he gets a diamond on the trophy. I think it all makes sense, he is marketed as a God and all the others are secondary characters. I want to clarify that this is just a personal analysis and I am not judging anyone or anything.

  6. Interesting take. I’ve certainly noticed Liberty & Sky lean more on the sports ‘glorious’ past with its implicit mis remembering of how good it was. Certainly a non digital world was less judgemental, Mansell & Senna from that era would be far more divisive now, back then there might be a letter in Autosport or Motorsport from a disgruntled old bloke. Now half the planet would’ve taken sides on Prost v Senna. As much as that was front page and back page news back then, it was very much when there was a race on, rather than 10 x a day every day.

    1. Well, the Prost – Senna issue was enormously divisive in that non-digital era. Sad to say, but plenty of champagne was uncorked in France the day Senna died.

    2. Dave (@davewillisporter)
      3rd November 2020, 20:01

      Yeah, that era was utterly divisive with Prost leaking to French papers and Senna leaking to Brazilian papers and Balestre leaking to French and Italian papers and Bernie skulking in the background, plotting with Mosely. People crucify Lewis for saying FIA are out to get me or they’re trying to low us down. Senna was far more paranoid and was convinced the FIA was on Prost’s side. There’s an immediacy to this era which amplifies controversy and you can read the armchair viewer’s knee jerk reactions in real time but in terms of the drivers and the governing bodies it was far far worse back then than it is now. A throwaway comment from Lewis now is considered outrageous. Those protagonists from the past scheduled interview and side bars with journo’s with the specific intent of causing mayhem for the other side. That’s one of the reasons I love Bernie’s biography and to a lesser extend Moseley’s. They give you the behind the scenes stuff and it makes today’s media controversies seem childish by comparison and makes social media reactions look utterly tin foil hat nuts.

      1. Dave (@davewillisporter)
        3rd November 2020, 20:02

        @tonymansell forgot to @ you!

  7. The cheap plastic ones até clearly those ones he and Rosberg got for winning their home GO in ’14.
    Both times the bottom part fell when they were celebrating.

    Embarrassing.

  8. Michael (@freelittlebirds)
    2nd November 2020, 20:35

    There’s an interesting article about Ratzenberg by his teammate, David Brabham.

    https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/27068212“>

    The most interesting comment comes at the end where David shares his comments in recent letters (the article is dated 2014) to Ratzenberg’s parents where he explains that he prefers not to think of Roland as the “forgotten driver” but a driver who’ll always be remembered as his death has and will always be inextricably linked by fate to Senna’s death.

    I do agree that 2 stars on the trophy would have been better but the missing star reminds us all that we have not forgotten about Roland and that he continues to grace our memories. Perhaps a RR-AS initial will be great on the next one.

    Very cool trophy by the way.

    1. Pleased to see in his interview with Ziggo that Hamilton said both Senna and Ratzenberger were in his thoughts (on the track walk)

  9. I have never seen so many typos in article and video titles everywhere than I have this year. Looks like masks are having the desired effect…

  10. What?????? I from France and I’m 61 years old. And I can told you what you’re saying it’s absolutely not true!!!!

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