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IT WILL BE Sir Lewis Hamilton thanks to Boris Johnson … with the Prime Minister behind the plan to give the driver a seven-time F1 world champion a knighthood
- Sportsmail revealed last week that Lewis Hamilton was in line for the knighthood
- It is understood that Boris Johnson personally intervened to secure the decision.
- He would join the likes of Sir Mo Farah, Sir Andy Murray and Sir Alastair Cook.
Lewis hamilton His status as the most accomplished British sportsman of his time, possibly of all time, will be recognized with a knighthood on the New Year’s list of honors.
The seven-time world champion will be rewarded after, it is understood, that Boris Johnson personally intervened to secure the award.
The award will ultimately put the future Sir Lewis on a par with his contemporaries Sir Mo Farah, Sir Andy Murray and Sir Alastair Cook.
Lewis Hamilton to become the fourth Formula One driver to receive the knighthood
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson personally stepped in to secure the award for Hamilton.
Hamilton’s sporting prowess has long distinguished him as worthy of honor – he has dominated Formula One for nearly a decade, setting a record number of victories and poles.
His seventh world title, secured in Turkey last week, raised him to the level of Michael Schumacher in terms of championship wins.
Only its fiscal situation has delayed the impending lift. Hamilton, who is worth more than £ 250 million, lives in Monaco and has controversially saved £ 3.3 million in taxes by registering his £ 16.5 million private jet, since it was sold, in the Isle of Man.
Mercedes’ Hamilton won its seventh World Championship title in November
But despite this, it is among the UK’s 5,000 highest taxpayers, and Downing Street sees no reason to retain the knighthood for tax reasons.
Sportsmail understands that the prime minister is also happy to override a reluctance within the sports honors committee to knight an active athlete, meaning that barring a late twist, the 35-year-old MBE promotion he received 12 years ago is a certainty.
David Richards, Chairman of Motorsport UK, the national governing body, said: ‘If correct, this is wonderful news and well-deserved recognition for Lewis.
‘It is up to the Government to decide, but it is clear that it is not only his considerable career as an athlete that stands out. There are also the other areas in which he is now a leading voice, from environmental issues to fighting for opportunities for all. “
Richards, the most powerful man in British motorsport, is among several leading industry figures who have written to No. 10 campaigning for Hamilton’s honor.
He added: “It would be totally wrong for the UK to deny Lewis an award commensurate with his historic achievements because of where he chooses to live or work, or because his tax status has been misunderstood.”
Hamilton’s impending knighthood, which was revealed in the Sun on Sunday, will make him the fourth F1 driver to be knighted after Sir Jack Brabham, Sir Stirling Moss and Sir Jackie Stewart, all honored after retirement.
No other F1 driver was knighted while racing
Team Williams founders Sir Frank Williams and Sir Patrick Head round out the list of gentlemen of grand prix racing.
Publicly, Hamilton, who is close to signing a new £ 40 million a year deal with Mercedes, has been reluctant to his desire for the distinction.
He said last week: ‘When I think of being knighted, I think of people like my grandfather who served in the war. And Captain Tom, who waited 100 years.
‘Then there are these doctors and nurses who are saving lives in this most difficult time. I don’t consider myself a forgotten hero. I haven’t saved anyone. ‘
But privately, the family has been desperately eager for recognition, especially as an official seal on their remarkable journey as a mixed-race family from a Stevenage council estate to the top of a white-populated sport.
Hamilton, 35, has used his profile to speak out against racism and champion Black Lives Matter
Hamilton’s MBE came in 2008 when he won the first of his titles, at age 23, at McLaren.
Since then, he has taken on a higher profile to become one of the most recognized sports figures on the planet, and this season he has used his considerable fame to champion the Black Lives Matter cause.
“Fighting for equality means more than winning my world titles,” he said recently.
He is likely to direct his new nickname, Sir Lewis Hamilton, toward continuing his work in this field.
