Charles Hamelin got quite a surprise on Saturday when he met his idol Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes team pits an hour before the last free session.
• Also read: Canadian Grand Prix: Alonso, the surprise guest
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Behind the scenes, the people at the Canadian Grand Prix, his agent Russell Reimer and his fiancée Geneviève Tardif have been cooking up the project since Hamilton congratulated Hamelin on his gold medal in the 5000m relay at the Beijing Olympics, according to his Twitter feed.
It all came together last week when the seven-time world champion’s schedule was confirmed.
“A dream come true,” said Hamelin, who has worn his Hamilton-inspired helmet in recent games. I couldn’t believe it when he walked into the dressing room. He is an exceptional athlete, but also an authentic and caring person. He didn’t know me at all and came towards me, greeting me as if we were friends. i want to be his friend »
“Following his reply on Twitter, I had no more asking to add the newly retired short track speed skater. I had paid for the wireless internet signal on the flight home from the games and his reply and the picture of us both were the first things I saw when I opened my phone. His answer confirmed why I found him inspirational. »
secret
Hamelin’s fiancé tried to keep the secret. “I rode it this morning [samedi] on arrival at the circuit so he won’t be late, she said. I told him that he has an interview with you at 11:30 am and that he has to be on time. He didn’t quite understand how a 10-15 minute delay could be so important. Hamelin was touched by his meeting. “I’ve met some great people in my career, but this one is really special. I rarely take self-portraits out of embarrassment, but I couldn’t pass up this opportunity. »
Currently
During their 15-minute chat, Hamelin and Hamilton spoke specifically about their shared passion for English bulldogs, and the retired speed skater took the opportunity to present the veteran pilot with a gift. For their part, Stella and Rosco were not present at the meeting of their masters.
“I gave him the autographed helmet I wore in Beijing,” he said. Even without knowing that I was going to meet Lewis, I had brought my helmet to give to someone on his team. Lewis told me he used to skate at home when he was younger. »
F1 supporters
Hamelin has been an F1 fan since he was young. “I was already very interested in Formula 1 and after Jacques Villeneuve’s world title, I’m 100 percent on board [le 26 octobre 1997], said Canada’s medalist with the most men in Winter Games history at six. I bought magazines, recorded his races and had scale models of his car. I never got off the hook and the Drive to Survive series on Netflix fueled my interest. There are many similarities between the two sports. Watching his races, I tried to use cornering and overtaking tricks. If it worked for him at 300km/h, I figured it might work at lower speeds. »