In the round-up: Pierre Gasly says he’s proud to learn his late friend Anthoine Hubert, who died in a Formula 2 crash in 2019, inspired his new AlphaTauri team mate Yuki Tusnoda.
What they say
Tsunoda spoke about Hubert after winning the award named after him by finishing as the highest-placed rookie driver in Formula 2 last year:
I didn’t hear these comments but obviously it’s always nice to hear these things. I know very well Anthoine and I’m really glad and proud if he has in some way inspired some others.
He was a really close friend of mine. It still sounds really strange to speak about him in that way and knowing that he’s not with us anymore. So I’m still not really used to that. But obviously nice words from Yuki, what he said.
Pierre Gasly
Quotes: Dieter Rencken
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Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
Aldo Andretti, my loving twin brother, my partner in crime and my faithful best friend every day of my life was called to heaven last night. Half of me went with him. There is no eloquence. I'm shaken to my core. pic.twitter.com/NJ3fZxklNo
— Mario Andretti (@MarioAndretti) December 31, 2020
It takes an incredible amount of dedication and talent to be successful in @F1, but there are a select few who are truly great, that break records and transcend their sport.
Congratulations on your knighthood, Sir Lewis Hamilton. pic.twitter.com/9wYj36GzO8
— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) December 31, 2020
Never tasted it on the podium (sadly) but it's very good!!! @Champagnecarbon pic.twitter.com/rkLJEovYu5
— Romain Grosjean (@RGrosjean) December 31, 2020
- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Links
More motor racing links of interest:
Hamilton Knighted in 2020 New Year's Honours (Mercedes)
Toto Wolff: "The news that he is to receive a knighthood shows that he is now receiving the recognition he has earned during a career of unparalleled success in motorsport. The UK can be very proud to have a champion and ambassador of the calibre of Sir Lewis Hamilton."
Knighthood means more in year Hamilton found political voice (The Times - subscrition required)
"Hamilton knows that tax has been an issue, but that has never stopped him being proud to be British."
The race that was: USA 1991 (Racing Point)
"Some of the first few key members designing the first Jordan F1 car included Gary Anderson, Mark Smith and Andrew Green – who is now technical director at the team he started with three decades ago! Another familiar face in 1991 was our current sporting director, Andy Stevenson, who has been with the Silverstone team throughout all its various guises."
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Comment of the day
Should Hamilton have been knighted before the end of his Formula 1 career?
Hamilton is probably the greatest sportsperson of the 21st century so far, so it’s not early at all to recognise his work.
In sporting terms, it’s long overdue since he became Britain’s most successful driver, a few years ago, but the timing is perfect in terms of praising the leading figure he became in 2020: painting the silver arrows black, starting a commission to pursue diversity in motorsport, speaking out loud against racism.
Daniel
Happy birthday!
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ColdFly (@)
1st January 2021, 0:31
For Sir, Bottas will be proud as well.
Pat Ruadh (@fullcoursecaution)
1st January 2021, 1:19
Happy new year everyone!
Jere (@jerejj)
1st January 2021, 7:34
@fullcoursecaution Same from me.
Jimmi Cynic (@jimmi-cynic)
1st January 2021, 10:40
@fullcoursecaution, @jerejj: Same. And more. Wishing a happier year for everyone than that last one.
Qeki (@qeki)
1st January 2021, 11:05
Bring on 2021!
BOSS
1st January 2021, 3:48
Congrats Sir Lewis Hamilton.
frood19 (@frood19)
1st January 2021, 8:27
Agree with you and COTD, it is a deserved and overdue tribute to a great champion. The MBEs and OBEs don’t seem appropriate in this day and age (the association with empire is too problematic in our multicultural society, it’s too blind to the past whatever its meaning now) but I knighthood seems OK.
The argument for Hamilton getting one was overpowering given Andy Murray already has one – he’s great and all but he’s only ever been on the level with the best of the best occasionally, whereas Hamilton is one of the all time greats, without question, and has been for a while now.
Kyle (@hammerheadgb)
1st January 2021, 10:30
@frood19
I hate to disappoint in that respect but a knighthood = KBE
Very much part of the same system as the MBE and OBE
erikje
1st January 2021, 14:13
The BREMPIRE was way before the BREXIT. So less empire and more exit.
Maybe we call it Knight of the British Exit
something like Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Exit.
frood19 (@frood19)
2nd January 2021, 8:36
@hammerheadgb I thought I was probably being a bit naive, though I was assuming that the knighthood system stemmed from the medieval templar knights (which is a pretty murky tradition from a pretty nasty period of history admittedly) and was less overtly linked to empire.
I get that it’s obviously just purely honorary now (Hamilton isn’t going to be required to look after the serfs or raise a body of fighting men) but better to have some nonsense royal award for chivalry than something celebrating the British empire.
Dave (@davewillisporter)
2nd January 2021, 15:40
@hammerheadgb @frood19 There is also a Knight Batchelor which pre-dates the empire by several hundred years and is in fact one of the oldest knighthoods. This is the knighthood like that of the Knights of the Round Table. That is what Lewis Hamilton has been given. He is now a Knight Batchelor. A real knight!
Kyle (@hammerheadgb)
3rd January 2021, 11:51
@davewillisporter
I stand corrected. Although the KBE (Knight(s) Commander of the Order of the British Empire) exists as a rank, you are right that most Knighthoods appear to be awarded under Knights Bachelor.
Although, there is no female equivalent at this level and therefore all Dames (excluding Grand Cross, a higher status for Knights and Dames) do still become Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Dave (@davewillisporter)
3rd January 2021, 13:19
@hammerheadgb Regarding the ceremony, it probably won’t happen until the summer for covid reasons and I wouldn’t be surprised if it is William that carries it out, although I think the Queen gave him the MBE in 2009.
ruliemaulana (@ruliemaulana)
1st January 2021, 4:03
Yuki tribute his Spa win to Antoine. So it seem he really care about Antoine. Saying something good about Antoine on an award named after Antoine is not special.
Dave
1st January 2021, 16:53
The link to Racing Point F1’s article is no longer available. Darn. :(
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
1st January 2021, 17:10
RIP Aldo. RIP Daniel Dumile.
Broke84 (@broke84)
2nd January 2021, 8:34
Did anyone else click on the racing point article and get redirected to “page not found” on astonmartin.com? Shame not to be able to read it but exciting to see the change.
Dave (@davewillisporter)
2nd January 2021, 16:16
Yuki Tsunoda is my favourite of the up and coming drivers. He drives with intelligence and is very fast. He’ll be in a Redbull soon enough.
skibomax (@skibomax)
3rd January 2021, 19:36
I thought they should have gone for a life peerage.