Formula One Hamilton hailed the greatest amid calls for knighthood
LEWIS Hamilton has been hailed as the greatest British sportsman in history after he emulated Michael Schumacher by winning his seventh world championship.
Hamilton delivered the drive of drives to wrap up his sixth title in seven years with a brilliant victory at Sunday’s rain-hit Turkish Grand Prix.
The 35-year-old Englishman will now end his career as the most decorated driver in Formula One history, having already registered a greater number of victories, pole positions and podiums than anyone who has gone before him.
“I just watched Lewis Hamilton drive to his seventh world title crown,” tweeted former England and Manchester United captain Rio Ferdinand.
“[He is] the greatest sportsman this country has ever produced - no doubts. And he still has more chapters to come.”
The case will now be made for Hamilton to be knighted in the New Year Honours list.
As revealed by the PA news agency last month, former Labour cabinet minister Lord Hain, who serves as Chair for the All-Party Parliamentary F1 Group, will now write to Prime Minister Boris Johnson urging that Hamilton follow in the footsteps of Andy Murray, Mo Farah and Alastair Cook as Britain’s next sporting Sir.
Hamilton was awarded an MBE after his maiden championship triumph in 2008.
“When I think about that honour of being knighted, I think about people like my grandad who served in the war,” said Hamilton on the potential accolade.
“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.
“I hear the national anthem and I am a very proud Brit. It is a special moment to be up there representing a nation and having the flag over your head.”
Hamilton’s £40million-a-year Mercedes deal expires next month but a renewal is set to be completed in the coming weeks once the dust has settled on his triumph.
“I feel like I am only just getting started,” added Hamilton, who said he would celebrate his landmark achievement by watching a re-run of Sunday’s race with Minestrone soup at his Monaco apartment.
“I feel physically in great shape. This year has been the hardest year for millions of people. I know things always look great on the big stage but it is no different for us athletes. It has been a challenge.
“I didn’t know how to get through it but with the help of great team around me I have managed to keep my head above water and stay focused.
“I am really hopeful for a better year and I would love to stay. We have only just begun in our work to hold ourselves accountable as a sport, to realise that we cannot ignore the human rights issues with the countries we go to. I want to help Formula One. I want to help Mercedes in that journey.”
Meanwhile, former world champion Damon Hill has dismissed suggestions Hamilton’s Formula One success is simply a product of having the best car.
Hill, who won with Williams in 1996, told BBC Breakfast: “It is a lot easier if you have the best car, I will say that having had the best car at one time in my career. But they don’t give you the best car forever and in my case, I didn’t stay with my team - they probably thought I
wasn’t worth giving the best car to (any more).
“With Lewis, they’re tripping over themselves to keep him in the car. Mercedes have nabbed him at the start of their development as a team because they knew he was the best driver.
“The best drivers get the best equipment, and he’s held on to that position because no-one can touch him.”
Hill added that Hamilton’s record may be truly unassailable should the sport become more competitive. He said: “Michael beat (Juan Manuel) Fangio’s long-standing five world title record, and everyone thought ‘well, that’s an incredible achievement’. He went on to win two more and got to seven and we thought ‘that’s beyond reach’. There’s a fantastic couple of chats with Lewis at the start of his career, saying he didn’t think it’d be possible to beat it.
“I think there’s a desire to see more variety of winners in the sport - it’s great to see somebody dominate if they are that good, but it’s also great to see a variety of winners.
“I think even Lewis would say he’d like a bit more competition from time to time because it’s more thrilling, and it’s also more possible for him to show what he can do.
“But it also might make his total of seven world titles unassailable in the long run.”