Misleading: It is misleading that the Formula 1 (F1) driver Lewis Hamilton carried the Brazilian flag at the end of the São Paulo Grand Prix (GP), in Interlagos, in 2022, and that this was in support of the coup acts that take place in the Brazil. The video used in the disinformation piece is from 2021, when Hamilton actually carried the flag after winning the race, in a way of honoring his idol in the category, the Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna, who died in 1994, who had the same custom.
investigated content🇧🇷 Video which shows Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton carrying the Brazilian flag at the end of the São Paulo Grand Prix (GP) at Interlagos. The image reads the date 11/13/2022 and the phrases “What a thrill”, “Even he (Hamilton) is with the Brazilian Nation” and “thank you for your affection, our fight is not over”.
Despite part of the comments warning that the video was recorded in 2021, multiple users linked Hamilton’s gesture with the anti-democratic demonstrations that are currently taking place in the country.
where it was published: TikTok.
Conclusion of Comprova: Video published on TikTok deceives by suggesting that Lewis Hamilton, F1 driver, carried the Brazilian flag after the Grand Prix (GP) in São Paulo as a form of support for coup acts promoted by supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro (PL). The demonstrations have taken place since the beginning of November, when Brazil elected Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) as the new president. The content tricks viewers into thinking that the recording is from this year’s GP, held on November 13, when it is actually from the 2021 race, which took place on November 14 last year.
In the 2021 race, Hamilton won and, at the end of the GP, asked for the Brazilian flag that one of the track inspectors was carrying. He drove around the Interlagos circuit and took the flag to the podium. In an interview, the pilot stated that the act was a tribute to his idol in the same sport, the Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna, who died in 1994, a victim of an accident during a race in Imola, Italy.
At the time, images of Hamilton with the Brazilian flag went viral and the pilot was later granted the title of honorary citizen of the country. This month, before the 2022 race, the driver went to Brasilia to officially receive the title in session at the Chamber of Deputies. In addition, he visited Morro da Providência, in Rio de Janeiro, the oldest favela in the country. the pilot still gave a new flag to track marshals who lent him the item in 2021, now with his autograph.
misleading, for Comprova, is all content removed from the original context and used in another so that its meaning undergoes changes; that uses inaccurate data or that induces an interpretation different from the author’s intention; that confuses with or without the deliberate intent to cause harm.
publication reach: Comprova investigates suspicious content with greater reach on social networks. As of November 17, the video on TikTok had 94,200 views, 12,900 likes, 553 comments and 2,900 shares.
What the person responsible for the publication says: TikTok does not allow sending messages between accounts that do not follow each other. However, several comments on the publication pointed out that the video was from 2021. In response, the author of the publication said to these users: “Sorry! I received it today and only reported it because no other foreigner did that. I was very emotional (sic).”
How do we check: Initially, we googled for “Lewis Hamilton with the flag of Brazil🇧🇷 The first result is an interview of the pilot to the GE portal on November 10, when he says he carried the country’s flag, in 2021, as a way to bring hope amid the covid-19 pandemic and honor the idol Ayrton Senna.
We also found in the search the same video used in the disinformation piece, published on November 14, 2021, on the website Big prize🇧🇷 And also content talking about the title of honorary Brazilian citizen received by Hamilton, published on the CNN Brasil website.
Hamilton carried the flag in the 2021 race and it was a tribute to Senna
In an interview with GE in November of this year, Hamilton stated that he was inspired by Senna and that he carried the Brazilian flag to bring hope. “We were going through a pandemic, so many people lost their lives here. There was a need to have hope. Something inside me said ‘go get it (the flag)’. And I drove with her. […] For me it was something reminiscent of Ayrton (Senna) and his racing spirit. I remember when he ran here, he took the flag and that Brazil didn’t have that for some time”, he said.
At the 2021 GP, Hamilton repeated the gesture that Ayrton Senna made for the first time in 1986 at the Detroit circuit. When he won a race, the Brazilian driver took an additional lap around the track with the flag in celebration.
Pilot received title of Brazilian citizen
Lewis Hamilton received the title of honorary Brazilian citizen on November 7, 2022, in a ceremony at the National Congress. The honor was suggested by federal deputy André Figueiredo (PDT-CE) after the British driver’s victory in the Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Interlagos Circuit, in São Paulo, in 2021. The parliamentarian’s request was approved by the Chamber in June of this year .
According to CNN, before the ceremony, Hamilton said he was “incredibly honored” to receive the title. “Throughout my life, Brazil has held a special place in my heart. Whether watching Ayrton Senna as a child, or winning races at Interlagos, I always felt that the country was my second home”, said the driver.
After the homage, the British pilot posted a thank you text on the social networks.
this year’s race
After receiving the title of honorary citizen, Lewis Hamilton posted on Twitter a personalized helmet with the design of the Brazilian flag. The equipment was used during the Interlagos Grand Prix, in São Paulo, held last Sunday, November 13th. Customized helmets commemorating the race in Brazil were also used by other drivers, such as Charles Leclerc and Alex Albon🇧🇷
The São Paulo GP was won by Englishman George Russell, from Mercedes. Hamilton, Russell’s teammate, was in second place. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz completed the podium.
why do we investigate: Comprova investigates content about the pandemic, federal government public policies and presidential elections that went viral on social media. At the current time, pieces of disinformation like this one checked, which inflame coup acts across the country, can disrupt democracy.
Other checks on the topic: In other checks involving Hamilton, the Magnifying Glass Agency showed that it was a montage of a photo of the pilot wearing a T-shirt with an image of Lula and the proveslast year, proved false that Hamilton said that Brazilians are happy with the Bolsonaro government.
In the last week, Comprova showed that it was a deputy, not the STF, who filed a criminal notice against the Minister of Defense🇧🇷 what Janones’ video was edited to falsely suggest that Lula wants to end Auxílio Brasil🇧🇷 is that it is false that a survey revealed that Bolsonaro stole R$ 400 billion from public coffers🇧🇷
Investigator by: Metrópoles, Gaúcha ZH and Plural Curitiba; Verified by: Estado de S.Paulo, NCS, A Gazeta and Folha de S.Paulo
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.
