The year 2020 was a year of landmark achievements and milestones for British Formula One racer Lewis Hamilton. From surpassing German racing legend Michael Schumacher’s record of grand prix victories to equalling his idol’s record of seven F1 titles, Hamilton has firmly established himself as among the greatest ever racers of all time.
Despite becoming a victim of Covid-19 towards the end of this F1 season, which put a dampener on his year-ending performances, Hamilton ended things on a high by becoming the BBC Sports Personality of the Year during a period that saw the rise of many exceptional talents in many fields.
However, the highlight of the year was Hamilton being knighted by Queen Elizabeth II as part of her New Year’s Honours list that recognises people for exceptional achievements in politics, arts, governance and sports, among other fields, every year.
Hamilton has been an outstanding sports idol this year, which saw powerful voices being raised against discrimination and disparities across the globe. The Briton emerged as an advocate of diversity in the world of sports. A staunch supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement, Hamilton dedicated his victories this year to the movement for equality. He was vocal against racism during his races, openly admitting that the zeal to bring equality to the Black community ignited his passion for winning races more so he could use the platforms to spread the message of an equal and racially diverse world.
His supporters believe that Hamilton deserved to be knighted way before 2020 but was not considered for the honour because of being a resident of the tax haven of Monaco. However, the intervention of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson ensured that Hamilton received his knighthood last year. Given that 2020 was Hamilton’s best year so far in his career, the knighthood came at the right time.
However, Hamilton was made eligible through the diplomatic and overseas list instead of the domestic list to avoid any controversies or objections around his knighthood.
The racer was congratulated by Stefano Domenicali, the CEO of F1, who referred to Hamilton as a true giant of the racing sport. He further said Hamilton’s influence is universal as he is a great source of inspiration behind the wheel as well as off the F1 grid. Noting that Hamilton’s achievements last year were remarkable, Domenicali expressed confidence that the ace racer would achieve much more this year.
As a 35-year-old racer at the peak of his career, Hamilton is currently dominating the F1 circuit and supporters do not see him back down from his illustrious career anytime soon. The racer still has many years of achievements ahead of him, according to many sports pundits.
The new honour of Knighthood, however, has made Hamilton the fourth F1 racer to be knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. He is the youngest F1 driver to receive a knighthood. He is also the fourth youngest sportsman to receive the honour. With his 36th birthday coming up, the knighthood came as an early birthday gift.
What a year it was for Sir Lewis Hamilton.
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