Lewis Hamilton has always regarded Ayrton Senna as his Formula One idol and the reigning world champion has a golden opportunity to match the late Brazilian's 41 race wins at this week's Singapore Grand Prix.
Should the Briton drive his dominant Mercedes to victory in his 161st start on Sunday, not only will he achieve the feat in exactly the same number of races, he will strengthen his bid for a Senna-equalling third world title.
"I watched Senna as a child and it would be an honour to match him. Now I'm just one win away but I hope to do even better," the 30-year-old said in a recent interview.
"But we must not forget that if he were alive, he would have won a lot more," he added of the driver who tragically lost his life following a crash at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
Hamilton holds a 53-point lead over nearest challenger Nico Rosberg going into the 13th round of the season and it was at this race a year ago where the Briton ripped the momentum away from his German team mate.
Button hopes for rain to clear Singapore haze
Jenson Button, languishing near the bottom of the Formula One championship standings, the prospect of a tropical storm during Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix would come as a rare and welcome relief.
Like nearly everyone else, the McLaren driver hopes a heavy downpour will clear the dense haze that has blanketed the tiny Southeast Asian state, a result of farmers in neighbouring Indonesia burning forests.
Button does not think the smoke presents any particular safety issues, saying the visibility was good enough for drivers while medical helicopters were not needed in Singapore because the hospitals were so close to the track.
But he is worried about the health dangers of breathing in smoke while driving.
"It's very difficult walking around in the streets. You can smell the smoke but when you're pushing yourself to the maximum in the car and you're having to take big gulps of air..." he told Reuters on Wednesday, hours after flying in from the Thai resort of Phuket where had been acclimatising.
