It's Sir Lewis Hamilton Now! 7-time F1 World Champion Receives Knighthood

Just days after losing a titanic battle for the F1 world title to Max Verstappen, 7-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has been knighted at a ceremony in Windsor Castle. Hamilton was announced to be on the list of individuals to be knighted last December when he won his 7th F1 world title in 2020 when he equalled Michael Schumacher's long-standing record as a part of the Queen's New Years Honours list. Hamilton was knighted by Prince Charles. His name was even recommended by British PM Boris Johnson.

This makes Hamilton only the fourth F1 driver to be endowed this honour after Sir Stirling Moss, Sir Jack Brabham and Sir Jackie Stewart. However, alongside Sir Jackie Stewart he is the only other living F1 driver to be honoured and is the only one to have been knighted while being active on the grid.

Lewis Hamilton with his mother Carmen

In 2021, Hamilton came excruciatingly close to winning his record-breaking 8th world title, but thanks to a controversial end to the F1 title finale, the Briton lost the fight to Verstappen on the last lap of the race. Hamilton, who turns 37 in January, is also the only black F1 driver in the history of F1. He is contracted till the end of the 2023 season with the Mercedes F1 team, by when he would be 38, approaching 39. Many expect Hamilton will call it a day post the end of the contract.

Hamilton who is said to be attending the FIA world championship prize ceremony on Thursday attended the knighthood ceremony with his mother Carmen. The Mercedes F1 team is likely to not appeal the verdict of the race in Abu Dhabi after its two protests were rejected by the FIA stewards, something which according to reports has been triggered at the behest of Hamilton.