Although Hamilton, whose crash helmet is painted the same shade of yellow as that made famous by the Brazilian legend, was nine at the time of Senna's death their paths had crossed.
"The year before, I'd won the British karting championship and got the chance to meet him. I'll never forget that," Hamilton told Motor Sport magazine.
"As a kid, I was drawn to Senna because, for one thing, his driving style seemed to be different from anyone else's.
"And he seemed to be a daredevil. Well, not a daredevil exactly, but he always went out of his way to make sure he was at the front.
"For me he's the king, and always will be. If I could ever get to a point of being anywhere near as good as he was, I'd feel great."
Senna won his opening title in 1988, which was his fifth season in Formula One but his first with McLaren.
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