Hamilton dedicates Canadian GP win to Muhammad Ali
Lewis Hamilton dedicated his Canadian Grand Prix victory to late boxing legend Muhammad Ali.
Mercedes’ double-defending world champion closed to within nine points of his team-mate Nico Rosberg with victory at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Sunday.
Hamilton emerged from his cockpit and shadow-boxed before getting out of his car and doing an ‘Ali shuffle’
As he crossed the line, Hamilton said over team radio: “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee! That one was for Muhammad guys, that was for Ali…”
He told Sky F1 afterwards: “That guy was an inspiration and still is today, and he will be to so many people.
“I don’t know, the last 15 laps I was thinking about him, thinking about how the car… I was able to flow with it. Like he would say, ‘float like a butterfly, sting like a bee’.
“Very rarely do I dedicate races to anyone so it’s an honour for me to be able to do that to him.”
Ali died aged 74 last week after a three-decade long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
