Charles Hamelin was treated to quite a surprise on Saturday when he met his idol Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes team box, an hour before the last free session.
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Behind the scenes, the folks at the Canadian Grand Prix, his agent, Russell Reimer, and his fiancée, Geneviève Tardif, have been cooking up the project since Hamilton congratulated Hamelin following his gold medal in the 5000m relay at the Beijing Olympics. , on his Twitter feed.
It all came together last week when the seven-time world champion’s schedule was confirmed.
“It’s a dream come true,” said Hamelin, who wore his Hamilton-inspired helmet at the last Games. I couldn’t believe it when he arrived in the dressing room. He is an exceptional athlete, but also an authentic and caring person. He didn’t know me at all and he came to meet me, greeting me as if we were friends. I want to be his friend. »
“After his response on Twitter, I had nothing more to ask him, to add the newly retired short track speed skater. On the flight home from the Games, I had paid for the wireless internet signal and his reply and the picture of the two of us were the first things I saw when I opened my phone. His response confirmed why I found him inspiring. »
Secret
Hamelin’s fiancée struggled to keep the secret. “I ran it this morning [samedi] when arriving at the circuit so that he would not be late, she said. I was telling him he had an interview with you at 11:30 a.m. and he had 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 awesome people in my career, but this one is really special. Out of embarrassment, I rarely take self-portraits, but I couldn’t miss this opportunity. »
Present
During their 15-minute chat, Hamelin and Hamilton notably discussed their shared passion for English bulldogs, and the retired speed skater took the opportunity to present a gift to the seasoned pilot. For their part, Stella and Rosco were not present at the meeting between 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 it to someone from his team. Lewis told me that he skated when he was younger at home. »
F1 supporter
Ever since he was young, Hamelin has been an F1 fan. “I was already very interested in F1 and I’m 100 per cent on board after Jacques Villeneuve’s world title [le 26 octobre 1997], said Canada’s most men’s medalist in Winter Games history with six. I bought magazines, recorded his races and had scale models of his car. I never picked up and the series Drive to Survive on Netflix added to my interest. There are many similarities between the two sports. Watching his races, I was trying to use tricks in cornering and overtaking. If it worked for him at 300 km/h, I thought it might work at lower speeds. »