Meet Sir Lewis Hamilton: The seven-time Formula One champion who was recently knighted
Lewis Hamilton, England’s celebrated seven-time Formula One winner was recently honoured with knighthood. This comes after his close, nail-biting miss of the eighth Formula One title at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021 which was given to Belgium’s Max Verstappen. Hamilton was projected to win the race, but was overtaken by Verstappen in the final lap. However, in recognition of his excellence in sports, Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, knighted the Mercedes driver at the iconic Windsor Castle in Windsor, United Kingdom. This makes him the fourth Formula One driver to receive this honour following the footsteps of Sir Jackie Stewart (2001), Sir Stirling Moss (2000) and Sir Jack Brabham (1979). Here is more about Lewis Hamilton, or rather, Sir Lewis Hamilton now.
Hamilton’s career
The 36-year-old British racing driver began his professional racing career in 2007, when he participated in the Australian Grand Prix. He managed to secure his first title ever that very year at the Canadian Grand Prix. Hailed to be one of the best Formula One racers history has ever seen, he holds a joint record for the coveted title with Michael Schumacher.
Signed with Mercedes, the ace racer has also secured the most wins, podium finishes and pole positions for Formula One. Moreover, Hamilton is responsible for furthering the influence of motorsport worldwide and increasing the appeal of Formula One. He also actively participates in anti-racism activism and champions diversity in his professional field.
His biggest achievements
As soon as he started his career in racing, even at the grassroot level, Hamilton excelled tremendously. He won the Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship (2003), Bahrain Superprix (2004), Formula 3 Euro Series Championship (2005), the Masters of Formula 3 Race (2005) and GP2 Series Championship (2006). His streak of wins led him into the world of Formula One in 2007, where he has managed to clinch 7 world titles till now. Moreover, he was the very first and the only racer of African descent to have participated in this contest.
What does it mean for Lewis Hamilton to be knighted?
A knighthood is essentially a title given to an individual by the British royalty as a recognition of one’s achievements for the country. As a recognition for Hamilton’s glittering career, excellence in his field and contribution towards the nation, he was a part of Queen Elizabeth II’s New Years’ honours list. This given list includes respected and revered British personalities from a range of different fields as well as frontline workers during the coronavirus pandemic.
The British racer was previously awarded the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in 2008. Now, as a knight, which is the second-highest rank in the Order of the British Empire, the title of “Sir” is conferred upon Hamilton.