Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has been knighted in the Queen’s New Year Honours list. The Briton, 35, sealed a seventh drivers’ title at the Turkish Grand Prix in November – equalling Michael Schumacher’s championships record.
Hamilton won his first world title with McLaren in 2008, with further successes in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
He clinched a seventh world championship and became the most successful F1 driver ever when he won the Turkish Grand Prix in November 2020.
The Mercedes driver had already surpassed Schumacher’s record number of race wins the previous month, with Hamilton’s total now standing at 95.
After the Istanbul victory Hamilton said he felt like he was “only just getting started”, adding: “To all the kids out there, dream the impossible.”
He said he would “love to stay” in F1 and wanted to continue to campaign for change when it comes to human rights, diversity and environmentalism.
Incoming F1 chief executive officer Stefano Domenicali said: “Lewis is a true giant of our sport and his influence is huge both in and out of a car.
“What he has achieved is phenomenal, with still more to come. All of us at Formula 1 congratulate him on this well deserved recognition of his achievements and look forward to seeing more of his brilliance in 2021.”