Sir Jackie Stewart.

Three-times Formula One World Champion John Young 'Jackie' Stewart has been awarded a Knighthood on the Queen's birthday honours list for his services to motorsport over the past 35 years.

It may have been widely predicted but the news that Jackie Stewart has been awarded a Knighthood by the Queen on her birthday honours list was still greeted with a sigh of relief by the motor racing community on Friday as it fell on one of the most deserving individuals to have ever graced our sport.

John Young 'Jackie' Stewart is not only Britain's sole triple World Champion but is also someone who is held in the highest respect by virtually everyone in the entire racing world thanks to his polite, charming mannerisms, immense wisdom and sheer skill in an era where death behind the wheel of a racing car was almost routine.

The Dunbartonshire born driver competed in 99 Grand Prix's between 1965 and 1973 winning 27 of them and collecting three Driver's World Championships in 1969, '71 and '73 when he retired from Formula One. During his driving career Stewart was not only an ambassador for the sport as a whole but he was instrumental in the appearance of the first mobile medical centre to appear at Grand Prix circuits and has been one of, if not the most, dedicated flag-bearer in attempting to improve the safety standards of Formula One and indeed, motorsport as a whole.

It was while lying trapped underneath is upturned BRM at Spa in 1966 with petrol slowly soaking his skin that the sometimes pre-historic safety standards of Grand Prix racing finally became too much to bear for Stewart and before that season was out, Stewart had successfully ensured that there would be what was in effect, a mobile hospital at trackside for every Grand Prix with the capacity to treat injured drivers quickly and efficiently should it be required.

However that was just the start of what was to be a never-ending quest to improve the safety standards of the circuits, facilities and the cars of the era as Jackie had decided that he had seen enough of his friends perish needlessly and avoidably behind the wheel of a racing car and although he was to lose more friends and colleagues before he retired as a driver, safety standards in Formula One improved dramatically as people reacted to Jackie Stewart when they wouldn't normally react to any other voice.

A measure of Stewart's ability comes in the fact that it was not until Alain Prost triumphed at the 1987 Portuguese Grand Prix was his record of 27 Grand Prix wins broken and it took 'The Professor' 20 more Grand Prix starts to better the Scotsman's mark. Since his retirement Stewart has gone on to be a successful businessman, TV commentator and Formula One team-owner with his son Paul.

Since selling Stewart Grand Prix to Ford, who re-branded the squad Jaguar, Stewart has retained a role as advisor to the team and is still a prominent figure on most Grand Prix weekends and although Stewart's role within the team is slowly winding down he will surely be a fixture of the Grand Prix paddock for many years to come as it is still nigh on impossible to find anyone with a bad word to say about the jockey sized Scot whose, sometimes mischievous twinkle in his eye has endeared him to millions and millions around the world.

A complete statement from Sir Jackie will be on-line shortly.