Publications
• Lewis Hamilton could be knighted by Queen Elizabeth later this year.
• If he is knighted, he will be recognised for his Formula 1 achievements.
• Only three F1 drivers received knighthood from the Queen.
• For more motoring stories, go to www.Wheels24.co.za
At the conclusion of the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton achieved something many thought would be impossible to do: equal the great Michael Schumacher on seven Formula 1 world championships. This is quite an achievement because the Mercedes driver did it in a way that gave no one a real chance of toppling him in this year's title race.
En route to his record-equaling championship, Hamilton surpassed Schumacher's (record) 91 race wins and currently sits on 94 victories. With three races remaining, he could stretch that record to 97 and maybe even, in 2021, become the first driver in F1 to reach 100 GP victories. Perhaps we shouldn't use the word 'maybe', because Hamilton has proven that he is head and shoulders above the rest of the grid.
READ: Records, accolades and all-round grandeur - Lewis Hamilton's F1 career in numbers
Recently, though, it came to light that Hamilton is under consideration to be knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, England's monarch. If this happens, Hamilton will receive the highest honour given to members of the public by the Queen, and it will see him join an elite group of people to have received it. In 2008, after winning his first championship, Hamilton was given an MBE by the Queen. The MBE, Member of the Order of the British Empire, is the third highest-ranking Order of the British Empire, behind being recognized as a CBE or an OBE (Commander or Officer).
Do you think Lewis Hamilton should be knighted? Please email us your thoughts or use the comments section below.
Hamilton's achievements in F1 is undoubtedly too significant to ignore, and the driver could find himself at the receiving end of the Queen's blessing at the New Year Honours event later this year. Although he has been under investigation for supposedly not paying his taxes in his homeland of Britain, it is unlikely that this will deny the champion the privilege of being recognized as a knight.
If Hamilton accepts the honour, he will become the fourth F1 driver to be knighted after Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, and Jackie Stewart.
Hamilton's opinion
Hamilton, though, is not too excited about the prospect of being knighted, sighting the fact that he is not a hero. The Scottish Herald quoted the driver on the matter.
According to the publication, Hamilton said: "When I think about that honour of being knighted, I think about people like my grandad who served in the war. Captain Tom waited 100 years for that great honour, and then you have these doctors and nurses, who are saving lives during this hardest time ever.
"I think about those unsung heroes, and I don't look at myself as an unsung hero. I haven't saved anybody. It is an incredible honour that a small number of people have bestowed on them."
While Hamilton's thoughts on the matter make complete sense, the honour of knighthood is given to Brits who excelled in their field of expertise.
Given his successes in F1 over the last 14 seasons, Hamilton could ready himself to receive the sought-after invitation from the Queen. However, the seven-times champion reserves the right to decline the offer.
