An artist has revealed one of the gifts that Lewis Hamilton ordered for his former Mercedes team-mates after moving to Ferrari.
The Formula One legend commissioned six works of art as thank-you presents to his old colleagues at the Silver Arrows.
Hamilton, 40, is embarking on a new adventure with Ferrari after 12 trophy-laden years with Mercedes, picking up six World Drivers’ Championships.
As Mail Sport has previously reported, Hamilton arranged for renowned motorsport artist Paul Oz to create a painting depicting his car at the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix. All 3,000 members of the team received a print.
Now artist Joel Clark has revealed that he, too, was contacted to sort a gift.
The hand-cut vinyl is titled ‘An Ode to Senna’ and shows Hamilton on his victory lap after the 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix. The artwork is applied to an A1 Perspex panel.
Lewis Hamilton ordered a vinyl of his 2021 Brazil GP victory lap ofr his Mercedes colleagues after joining Ferrari
The Brit spent 12 years with Mercedes but has now started pre-season testing with the Scuderia
Hamilton won six drivers’ world titles with Mercedes but wanted to pursue his childhood dream of driving for Ferrari
On his victory lap at Interlagos in 2021, Hamilton was handed a Brazilian flag by a track-side marshall and he waved it as a tribute to his role model, Ayrton Senna, who died in 1994.
Hamilton had fought his way to the front of the pack after starting 10th on the grid.
Artist Clark said in a video: ‘The significance and honour… I’m literally speechless.’
‘Lewis wanted to celebrate his greatest moments with the team, and my brief was to capture his victory at the ‘21 Brazilian GP and his tribute to Ayrton Senna,’ he added in the caption.
‘Needless to say, the honour and pride is simply off-the-scale!’
It took three weeks for Clark to complete the artwork and it is made from hundreds of miniature hand-cut coloured vinyl pieces – the same material which is used on F1 cars to form the team’s liveries.
It was a huge decision for Hamilton to leave behind Mercedes, who has put together one of the most formidable teams in global sport.
The Silver Arrows won eight consecutive Constructors’ World Championships between 2014 and 2021.
He visited Toto Wolff to break the news to him in person and amicably set the wheels in motion for his departure.
”There is no driver in the world that has had this experience with the team, and it makes it that much harder to let go. But I am taking with me the greatest memories. You guys have been living in my dream, and hopefully I have been living partly in your dreams too,’ Hamilton said at his leaving jamboree at the team’s Brackley base.
‘So a huge, huge thank you from the bottom of my heart and, also my family thanks you for all the dedication all these years, so a big thank you everyone and God Bless you.’
