Lewis Hamilton

Knighthood the recognition Hamilton deserves - Wolff

Sam Hall Thursday 31 December 2020 16:35

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has said the knighthood awarded to seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is the recognition the driver deserves for his successes both on and off-track.

In 2020, Hamilton became statistically the most successful Formula 1 driver of all time, equalling Michael Schumacher's record haul of seven world titles whilst surpassing the German's win and podium benchmarks.

Away from the circuit, Hamilton was a vocal supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement and also launched 'The Hamilton Commission' to "identify the key barriers to recruitment and progression of Black people in UK motorsport, and to provide actionable recommendations to overcome them".

Reflecting on both the announcement and on the achievements of his driver, Wolff said: "Lewis is one of the very greatest racing drivers of all time and the most successful British sportsperson of his era.

"Around the world, he has long been recognised for his sporting achievement; this year, he combined his excellence on the track with a powerful voice to fight discrimination. In every sense, he led the way in 2020.

"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."

Hamilton is yet to sign a contract extension at Mercedes to race in 2021 although it would be a surprise if a deal was not announced in the early stages of 2021.