Hamilton: I don’t think I’m going to get a knighthood

2019 Brazilian Grand Prix

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Lewis Hamilton has dampened speculation he could receive a knighthood in acknowledgement of his sixth world championship victory this year.

The Mercedes driver is close to surpassing Michael Schumacher as the most successful driver in the history of Formula 1.

He was made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for “services to motor racing” following his first world championship victory in 2008. His subsequent successes have prompted calls for him to join other motor racing figures who have received knighthoods, including Sir Jackie Stewart, Sir Stirling Moss and Sir Frank Williams.

However Hamilton isn’t considering whether it could happen and said he does not expect to receive a knighthood.

“I don’t really like to think too much about it,” he said. “Just the fact that people have mentioned it, it’s already an honour, but it’s not been something that I’ve been chasing in my life.

“If, at any point, that was to happen, I don’t particularly know how I would handle it. I have stood in front of Her Majesty the Queen before and it was pretty incredible and I think she’s just awesome.

“Again, I don’t think it’s going to happen, and again, it doesn’t bother me if it doesn’t. It doesn’t mean I’m not British. It doesn’t mean I’m not continuing to try and raise the flag as well as I can but I do appreciate all the support I’ve had from my fans and also from the British media.”

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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27 comments on “Hamilton: I don’t think I’m going to get a knighthood”

  1. Sir Hamilton does sound nice. Maybe he should become a prince or something.

    Or that only comes from familliar ties?

    1. (pedant mode)

      Its Sir Lewis. Not Sir Hamilton!

      Fwiw If he’d been offered a K he’d already know for this years list.

      1. This one came to mind ( no racism involved)
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s35rVw1zskA

  2. Oh please no.

    1. Peeople like Andy Murray were knighted for winning Wimbledon and Lewis has done it 6 times over. No comments required. Its selective. Whe give a toss about being called Sir. Doesn’t make u a beter person. Usual Old English traditions

      1. Patrick
        Peeople like Andy Murray were knighted for winning Wimbledon and Lewis has done it 6 times over. No comments required. Its selective. Whe give a toss about being called Sir. Doesn’t make u a beter person. Usual Old English traditions

        Sir Andy has an 80% career win rate lol.
        Lewis is closer to 30%, mostly with superior sports equipment to his competitors. Something unique to the world of sports.

        Sir Steve Redgrave won 9 world championships

        Nobody @ me with personal attacks unless you’ve checked the facts

        1. Wait, if you want a fair comparison, you’d have to evaluate Lewis vs every driver on the grid and work out the percentage then, or calculate Andy’s on the number of tournaments he’s won

        2. _dumb britain_

  3. Why the hell would Lewis get a knighthood?. Isnt that supposed to be rewarded for outstanding services for the country and humanity?

    1. Just like Steward, Moss and William did you mean ?

      You just have to be born into it or contributed to the renown of the Empire.

    2. Mike, to be blunt, the way that the honours system is usually abused in British politics means that it’s been increasingly subverted to reward those who’ve made large donations to those in power. It’s been particularly blatant in recent years, with recent Prime Ministers awarding sizeable numbers of honours to people who have worked on their election campaigns or been particularly large donors to their party or their personal campaigns.

      1. I thought it was the regent who gave the honor? (I assume on the advice of some panel of disinterested experts.) Or is he or she expected to just pencil whip the PMs recommendation?

      2. +1 And sports figures have basically been used to try to garner some popular credit for a heavily abused system. Then again that’s precisely what the royalty exists for.

  4. Can someone explain why this is a big thing? I read the same articles about CBE’s, OBE’s, MBE’s and what not right after every season… (except 2016 :-P) To me, I just can’t see any point why on earth someone would want that. Is there money invlolved? Or are the dearly rewarded entitled to a special chair in the city busses? Or a fast queue in the local deli? I’m not trying to make fun of a tradition (if it is one), I completely fail to see any kind of importance whatsoever. But I’m a foreigner, so that’s my excuse…

    1. Gives people with big egos something to brag about.

    2. Just a way to reward people. No money no anything but putting in in legal document in some cases.

      Sample list

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_New_Year_Honours#United_Kingdom

  5. I am not sure why people keep bringing this subject up all the time. I have never ever heard Lewis once bring up this subject but people seem to enjoy asking him about it. I feel they just want to stir controversy for no reason. Knighthood has been given to personalities in all walks of life such as actors and personalities. There is no measurement for who gets knighthood and why it is given. So he should get it because of 6 championships why not get it when he had 3 or 4 if that is the case. I wish people would stop forcing this subject because no one really cares, they are always trying to instigate and issue that Lewis only speaks about when ask. Why not Button, or Damon Hill the won championships also. This subject really needs to be put to rest. Lewis Hamiltons greatness is without question to anyone who knows F1. He does not need Knighthood to validate it.

  6. When you contrast the cr1p that Hamilton will get for the possibility of getting a knighthood with that of Andy Murray getting one…..I think it speaks volumes. Especially the press that will go after him.

    Personally I find knighthoods and the like a complete anachronism. So it does not bother me if he gets one or not, or if he accepts one or not.

    But to use it as a basis to attack Hamilton says more about the person doing the attacking.

  7. I don’t like the idea of knighthoods being given to athletes who are still active competitors… they’re a reward for an exceptional career, so I’d rather they were given after that career has ended.

  8. As an u.s. American I find these awards curious. I get it that it’s for service to the state. We have the congressional Medal of Honor and the various military valor awards. But for sportsmen what you get is a visit to the white house so trump can serve you Big Macs. Unless like a lot of athletes you just don’t show up . . . because you can get Big Macs on your own.

  9. Knighthoods are bandied around far too readily anyway, they’ve been devalued, if they ever had any value in the first place, which I’m not sure about. Anyway I don’t think they should be given to sportspeople, businesspeople etc based on being good at what they do – they don’t need their egos massaged any more anyway. Give it to real heroes instead. Plus I don’t think anyone who lives outside the UK for tax purposes should be eligible for one anyway (sorry). But none of this knighthood stuff really matters anyway does it?

  10. The Queen did not like his table manners when they met, plus he did not read the dress code for the royal box at Wimbledon and was sent away…. so no!

    Haha, just kidding. I don’t care if he gets it. Though Sir Lewis sounds great and is well deserved.

    I’m more curious to know that if he is knighted while still active as an F1 driver, are the commentators obligated to call him Sir.
    Sir Lewis on Pole! Sir Lewis wins! Get in there Sir Lewis!

    1. The Queen said he’ll get a Knighthood when he equals Sir Steve’s 9 rowing WC’s and achieves a win rate of at least half of Sir Andy Murray’s 81%

      Personally I think he should retire, then persuade more than just white westerners to give up meat.
      Then he can have a Knighthood services to C02 reduction.

  11. I can see Lewis getting the old knighthood at some point in time as recognition for his contributions to sports. Though I don’t think this will happen until after he retires. The only people I can think of who got a knighthood while still active are usually Olympians (Bradley Wiggins, Chris Hoy etc) or older people like managers (Alex Ferguson).

  12. Hah, if things continue to unfold, will there be a Royal Family by next spring?
    As if the ‘royal pal’ Jimmy Savile pics were bad enough back when..
    You’re too good to be around that mob Lewis, and many of us prefer the ‘celebs’ who told them to get stuffed.

  13. Why not, really, why not, there are athletes that get a Sir or Dame for running around a bit. There are cricketers and footballers that get it for training hard and playing a sport.

    Why not give an athlete that has headed the team that has been a multiple world champion the knighthood he deserves. There is no sane argument when you look at those athletes that have been honoured already that Lewis should not be knighted now.

    Excuse the rant.

    1. @ahxshades

      Please don’t compare F1 athletes who’ve never worked a job to get where they are, to Track and Field athletes who train at 5am before they go to work and again after work.

      Sir Steve Redgrave did exactly that and won 9 world championships

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