Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton has been knighted in the latest Queen’s New Year Honours list.
It tops a year in which the British driver claimed his seventh F1 Drivers’ title, putting him on a par with Michael Schumacher for championship wins.
Along with his continued success on track, Hamilton has also used his position to further social justice and change throughout 2021.
The most successful F1 driver, ever
Hamilton is now the most successful driver in the history of Formula 1. He holds the record for the most F1 race victories, sealing his 95th win at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix.
This is in addition to achievements such as the most pole positions, and most podium finishes, of any driver in F1 history.
Such was the dominance of Hamilton’s 2020 F1 season, he will undoubtedly break more records should he continue (as expected) in the sport.
More than just a one-track mind
Other achievements in 2020 have included winning the BBC Sports Personality of the Year prize. He was also given the prestigious role of guest editor for the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme.
The latter was used by Hamilton to highlight his influence on social matters. At Hamilton’s request, the Mercedes-AMG team painted their cars black in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
The Stevenage-born driver also had to battle coronavirus, missing out on the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix as a result. Returning to the grid for the Abu Dhabi finale, Hamilton admitted he was “grateful to be alive” after contracting the virus.
Arise, Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton MBE
Hamilton had been awarded an MBE in the 2008 New Year Honours list, following his first title. Despite his continued success on track, many felt Hamilton had been unfairly overlooked for a knighthood.
Pressure had been growing for him to receive the top honour, with various petitions pushing for his knighthood.
He will become only the fourth Formula 1 driver to receive a knighthood. Sir Jack Brabham was knighted in 1978, with Sir Stirling Moss following in 2000.
A year later in 2001, Sir Jackie Stewart was bestowed with the same honour.
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Undeniably brilliant and a great role model to any youngster from a less favoured background who has the grit to make good by adding sheer dedication and hard work to natural talent and family support. I cannot help but feel that a knighthood right now, while deserved, is maybe a touch premature, I’d be more comfortable with the award of the honour had he already retired from the sport. His ex-pat, playboy lifestyle and the use of his position and status to apply peer pressure to his fellow competitors on BLM issues does not sit anywhere near as comfortably with me. While I broadly support his stance on such matters, I have never reacted positively to being told how to think or being pressured to toe the line (or bend the knee). Nevertheless, congratulations are in order …. I just hope that the honour sits easily, comfortably and graciously upon him.