Lewis Hamilton deserves a knighthood now, says Wimbledon champ Andy Murray
From one great champion to another, two-time Wimbledon tennis champion Andy Murray has added his support to a growing movement to have newly-crowned seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton knighted in the New Year Honours.
The Mercedes driver lifted the F1 World Championship Drivers’ crown once again with his victory in the Turkish Grand Prix, leading to renewed calls to ensure he is included in the next wave of honours from HRH The Queen.
Though Buckingham Palace is notorious for retaining secrecy around who is honoured both at New Year and on the Queen’s birthday, it is highly anticipated that this will be the moment to provide a royal recognition to Hamilton’s achievements in the year he won a seventh F1 world title and surpassed Michael Schumacher for race wins.
How do Lewis Hamilton's 7 F1 World Championship title compare?
Hamilton is already an MBE, which he achieved in the wake of his first title in 2009, but there is form for sporting stars that have achieved landmarks during the year, notably the gold medal winners from the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics.
It would also compare with Andy Murray, who landed a knighthood after winning his second Wimbledon title in 2017. Now the Scot has told Good Morning Britain that he believes Hamilton should be next in line for the prestigious accolade.
"In terms of what he has achieved as an athlete, of course he deserves it. He's one of the most successful sportspeople in the country's history."
Damon Hill, the 1996 F1 World Champion, says a knighthood isn’t just representative of his achievements but the fact he has done it as a black man in a famously white man dominated sport.
"The knighthood will be seen as recognition of not just his driving but also as a black driver that has bust another door open for anyone who is not white," said the 60-year-old.
"He has destroyed the preconception that it can't be done, that there is an area where you cannot achieve something because of the colour of your skin. He has totally destroyed that notion."
