Grapevine: Hamilton misses out on Senna chance

The reigning world champion had been scheduled to give Senna's 1988 title-winning MP4/4 car a run at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on Sunday, but the machine has been sidelined after its gearbox broke on Saturday during a demonstration run by Bruno Senna.

Although deeply upset about missing out on an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Senna, Hamilton told AUTOSPORT on Saturday night that he is equally unhappy for the fans attending tomorrow's event.

"I'm really disappointed not to be driving the McLaren MP4/4 up the Goodwood hill tomorrow - not only for myself and for the guys at McLaren who worked so hard to prepare it but also, and most importantly, for the Goodwood spectators," explained Hamilton, who will now demonstrate his title-winning 2008 MP4-23, plus a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.

"There's something a bit special about Goodwood - and there's something a bit special about any ex-Senna Formula 1 car, too. So I'm sure the Goodwood spectators were really looking forward to watching it in action just as much as I was looking forward to driving it.

"Having said that, I'll still be doing two runs in the McLaren MP4-23, the car I won the world championship in last year. It'll be a nice feeling to get back into it because it was and is a truly fantastic car.

"I'll also be doing a run in a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren - which, with 627bhp, is an extremely quick road car."

Although Hamilton is upset that he has missed out on the chance to get behind the wheel of the car driven by his hero, he does take some consolation from the fact that the Brazilian's nephew Bruno did manage to show it off to fans on Saturday.

"I'm really sorry I won't be able to show the Goodwood spectators just what I could have done in a McLaren MP4/4," he explained. "As I say, I was really looking forward to driving it. But it's an old car - and, although Bruno [Senna] managed three runs in it at Goodwood this year already, its gearbox failed on his fourth run.

"At least Bruno got a chance to drive it, and to show it off to the Goodwood spectators, so that's the main thing I guess."