Hamilton on New Years’ Honours list
2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton has been made an MBE (Member of the British Empire) by the Queen.
The 23-year-old McLaren driver, who last month became the youngest ever Formula 1 title winner, and the first from Britain in twelve years, said he was “humbled” by the recognition in Her Majesty’s New Year Honours.
“It is the most amazing culmination to what has been quite a year for me and something I am very appreciative of,” he said.
The British Olympic cyclist Chris Hoy received a knighthood, and his mother Carol was given an MBE for her work as a nurse for sleep disorders.
Teenage swimmer Rebecca Adlington received an OBE (Officer of the British Empire), which is one category higher than MBE.
In total, 996 people were honoured.
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Read more: Lewis Hamilton biography
well done Lewis
thoroughly deserved
Past F1 people included in the New Years’ Honours are:
Damon Hill OBE
Nigel Mansell OBE
Ron Dennis CBE
Frank Williams CBE
Sir Stirling Moss OBE
Sir John Young (Jackie) Stewart OBE
John Surtees OBE
Among others. Details of what the letters stand for here.
Wow, that cycling guy is now a “Sir”? Cool. I guess Hamilton will have to do more to get a higher order.
How do Stirling Moss and Jackie Stewart get the “Sir” then?
Now, I’m a Hamilton fan, but why?
Or, maybe the question should be, why no recognition for the team of people behind him without which he would not have won anything??
Why not anything for David Coulthard who still ranks as one of the top points scoring drivers of all time and has hung up his helmet this year?
Adrian - Because he won the championship.
But yes, it’s time some other motor racing figures got distinctions like this. Why John Surtees - the only man to win motor cycling and F1 world championships - has gone so long without a knighthood is beyond me.
Why on earth does Adlington get an OBE whereas Hamilton and Hoy get MBEs? Pure association with the Royal Family?
How fantastic for Lewis, his family and team. He really has done well. Lewis Hamilton, WC, MBE. His family must be so proud.
Apologies for the double post Keith, I didn’t see this article when I came on before.
The BBC are doing a Have Your Say debate on their news website about the New Year Honours and I’ve just read this on there:
Take note of the “all Lewis did was barely scrape a win in a rather mediocre pack of drivers”.
I wonder if his debating skills would serve him well on here :~)
There’s some pretty nasty remarks about Lewis on this debate, if anyone’s interested the link is:
http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=5862&edition=1&ttl=20081231142343
There was an online petition to knight John Surtees sent to Number 10 earlier this year (http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page15572).
Anyone can nominate someone for an honour - see http://www.honours.gov.uk/nominate.aspx. How ’bout it Keith?
While this is great for Lewis and I’m a great Hamilton fan I do think that DC should have been recognised for his contributions to F1, after all he’s one of the top 5 UK F1 drivers of all time.
Re: Newsforums.bbc,
It’s a shame a lot of people can’t get over Lewis moving aboard. As if Lewis is the only one. But what does it matter, he is still world champ and having the time of his life. I guess it’s jealousy and envy. Roll to Sir Lewis in the future.
Mr Flibble was well named. Its almost a national pastime to have a go at Lewis.
The interesting thing is that these “haters” seem to be very sensitive about anything Lewis does but dont seem to realise that their comments reflect more on them than anyone else.
I think motor racing is much more in the collective public consciousness these days. If anyone did now what Surtees did then, they would be a global mega star without parallel.
Agreed antonyob, that’s probably why Ferrari wanted Rossi to drive for them.
Imagine the reaction if an Italian MotoGP champion could win the WDC for Ferrari !
I don’t really get the criticism of Lewis moving abroad, every other driver has done it for years and no-one’s ever cared about that.
Didn’t stop Sir Jackie getting a knighthood did it?
I think we all know that Lewis will have to win at least Ten championships before he ever gets a knighthood, and even then it might not happen. And people will still go on about him living aboard, sad really.
Errr… no he isn’t…
And if he follows up his 2008 performance by “doing a JV” (admittedly unlikely as he isn’t trying to start up a new team, nothing that risky, he’s staying with his top berth) I think nearly everyone would feel an honour was a tad silly….
I think they should have waited just a bit…
On your list on previous F1 honours you missed out that it is Sir Frank Williams CBE. He was knighted in 1999.
I know a lot of people question the honours system and who receive them, especially when it is famous people who receive them. Any sporting success which attracts a lot of media attention has a good chance of getting an honour straight away nowadays, such as when the England Cricket team, who all got honours for winning the Ashes in 2005, something the Aussies made fun of when they lost the next series 5-0.
So although other British F1 World Champions haven’t been honoured straight away, or at all, it would have been surprising if Hamilton had not been honoured, considering every Olympic gold medallist got something.
Correct me if im wrong snowcat but an honour of that stature is hardly something right minded people would rail against if he didnt continue to win races. But i guess if you dont like Lewis you dont like Lewis.
At least you know DC for what he is, a middle order driver who blew the good drives he had and never managed to dominate a team mate in 15 yrs. Nice guy, sure but its not good company in the pub your after. The “top 5″ comment is based on stats alone. Certainly on a points per GP ratio he must be top 15 at best.
My anorak genes forced me to look it up. He’s 37th:
1. George Amick, 6 points per race (6 from 1 start)
2. Lewis Hamilton, 5.91 points per race (207 from 35)
3. Michael Schumacher, 5.5 points per race (1,369 from 249)
[...]
37. David Coulthard, 2.17 points per race (535 from 246)
And yes, Amick’s only start was in the Indianapolis 500, in 1958.
I didn’t know the British Empire extended to Switzerland…
And the German empire Alastair
have you got the link to that stat Keith?