Lewis Hamilton hails Neymar for echoing ‘powerful message’ in World Cup post
Neymar echoed Lewis Hamilton's inspirational message after his Brazil comeback.
Lewis Hamilton has praised Brazilian footballer Neymar Jr for echoing the motivational message he used following his first Formula 1 victory with Ferrari.
After claiming a spectacular maiden win in red at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, seven-time world champion Hamilton posted an image on social media with the caption “REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE”.
Hamilton’s caption was a reference to a fan who said the encouraging words to the 41-year-old Briton during a hugely challenging debut season with Ferrari in 2025. It marked Hamilton’s first F1 win in nearly two years, and was Ferrari’s first since the 2024 Mexico City Grand Prix.
Neymar used the same caption as Hamilton in a social media post after he made his first appearance for the Brazil national football team since tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in October 2023.
The 34-year-old made his long-awaited return for Brazil during his team’s third and final group stage match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Scotland, which they convincingly won 3-0.
Hamilton said he was happy to see his close friend use his own platform to convey his message of positivity.
“We message each other often. Very thankful for the friendship I have with Neymar. I was just talking about his kids the other day, he's got beautiful kids,” Hamilton said ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix.
"It was really cool to see him post that. Because I don't always see people with amazing platforms like his really use it for sharing a lot of positivity. And in the world we live in right now, we need it more than ever.
"And so he's got a huge, huge following. To see that what I said has travelled to Brazil and he heard it and felt compelled to share the same message with his, just gives me real happiness that it's going even further than it was from what I said.”
Speaking separately in the TV pen, Hamilton added: “It is such a powerful message and to see him share that also with his amazing fanbase, all the people in Brazil that rely on them to go out and do their job… We need more positivity in the world and that is a positive message.
“It can seem quite a dark place right now. While we turn up here and it all looks lovely, what’s happening all over the world, it can be really tough and can bring you down. So we need more people sharing positive messages to lift people up.”
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Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for Crash.net around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
