Lewis Hamilton won’t forget Pele gesture as he pays tribute to inspiration

Lewis Hamilton will clearly never forget the gesture once made to him by Brazilian legend Pele following the news of his death of Thursday.

The three-time World Cup winner, considers by numerous fans and pundits alike to be the greatest to ever kick a football, died in hospital in Sao Paulo, aged 82. He had previously received lengthy treatment for colon cancer.

The tributes have poured in since, and from way beyond football circles. Mike Tyson was one to share a poignant image of him and former striker on Instagram, taken when the boxing heavyweight was only 21.

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And now Hamilton, 37, has led the F1 tributes, taking to his own Instagram page to write: "Lost a legend today. Thank you for sharing your talent, genius and love with us.

"Pelé's legacy will inspire us forever and always." That message came accompanied by a photo of the Brazilian holding the three World Cup trophies he helped the Selecao win in 1958, 1962, and 1970.

But another image he shared perhaps carried greater personal significance. It dated back to 2021, when Pele held up a Brazilian shirt with a special message for Hamilton after the Mercedes man had donned a Brazilian flag following his win at Interlagos.

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On the Instagram snap, Pele had written: "A wonderful performance. A day as glorious for you, Lewis, as for us Brazilians. It's great to see an F1 driver raise our flag on the podium. Thank you for being who you are."

Hamilton has long had a special affiliation with Brazil, hailing the influence of his hero Ayrton Senna. And the seven-time world champion was made an honorary citizen of the South American country last year.

And on Thursday, he re-posted the same photo as Pele had done 12 months ago, writing: "Meant so much to get this from the legend himself. Keeping it safe with me always."

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