he has to get one. he did what was probably the greatest ever sporting achievement. people get to the top level of their profession, but how he's done it has just been incredible. (i'm a big F1 fan)
What’s been interesting is the reaction to Hamilton from the general public in the last 24 hours. Considering his sporting achievement- and I’m with @dick plumb in finding motor racing very tedious - it’s fair to say I think that Hamilton is not widely likely by the British public. I’d suggest that is for 3 reasons - he’s a tax exile, who fled this country long ago he’s widely said to be a charmless individual in real life - a spoilt little brat is a common accusation His new found “wokeism” and the fact that just because he can drive a car fast he’s determined to brand himself the new Malcolm X and label everyone who disagrees with him a “rayzist” ( a bit like a certain poster on here). Personally I detest people like that. Let Hamilton kneel for BLM by all means but in front of the Queen for services to Britain - “no”.
Let the little prick spend a week living on an estate in Hackney and then we shall see how keen he is to bend his knee!!
F1, like dressage, is not for the masses. My in-laws love it, and my 2 brothers in law were good saloon car racers. But the top boys need to start go-karting from an early age and need a Dad prepared to devote his weekends and loadsamoney to his development. I used to go and watch my nephew Karting when he was young, and never saw a black spectator, let alone competitor, so Hamilton should direct his rage against apathy, if that is possible.
He has the money to start a racing school for underprivileged children of any race or colour. He could pay UK tax on his massive earnings and contribute to the support of the poorer sections of society, irrespective of race or colour. As he does neither I see no reason for him to be honoured beyond respect for his undoubted talent.
Lewis Hamilton is the most successful F1 racing driver of all time. The statistics prove it. Is he the greatest? That's a more subjective question. Politics and sport never mix well. That's why I admire Marcus Rashford for what he has been doing recently. Rashford has made it clear again and again that he is non-political when it comes to what he believes in. Nobody is his enemy, he is just trying to help kids get a decent meal every day. A lot of crusaders for various causes could do very well to adopt his approach and stop confronting & grandstanding for cheap publicity and popularity. I'm not an F1 fan, but that's not the primary reason I would not be happy with Lewis Hamilton getting a Knighthood. I am a football fan, but I don't think footballers (or ex-footballers like David Beckham for instance) should be Knighted either. My issue is the same as FHB's. I don't think tax exiles should qualify for honours. Unlike some eras in the past, I don't think our tax system is unfair to the very richest in society. Simply by paying his taxes in the UK - like 99.99% of us are obliged to do - Lewis Hamilton could contribute so much more here. But he chooses not to. He is free to make that choice of course. That freedom should not be denied or even begrudged in my view. But that option, when taken, does not deserve to be honoured either in my opinion.
Some of my in-laws will happily sit and watch a rerun of a GP, even when they know the result, and Mrs FHB is not allowed to phone them when it is on live.
