Lewis Hamilton is now the most successful driver in the history of motor racing with his seven World Championship titles an all-time record (tied with Michael Schumacher). Questions are being asked about why he hasn’t been given a knighthood like other leading sportsmen.
Motorsport UK chairman David Richards has written to Downing Street saying he deserves it: ‘Throughout Lewis’s journey to the top he has walked a lonely path as the only black driver in F1 and the Black Lives Matter movement has allowed him to speak candidly about his experience. His story is a remarkable one of sheer application, dedication, sacrifice, supreme skill and determination to enter a sport where the odds were stacked immeasurably against him.”
He does charitable work for the Make A Wish foundation, Save the Children and UNICEF.
Born 7 January 1985 in Hertford, England, with no verified birth time, he’s an ambitious and successful Sun Jupiter in Capricorn. He was born at the time of the Full Moon in Cancer (split parents) and the opposition is sextile/trine an obsessively conscientious Saturn in Scorpio. He’s also got Pluto in an ultra-determined and courageous trine to a passionately enthusiastic Mars Venus in Pisces; with Mars in a high-octane square to Uranus. He started go-karting when young and progressed on from there.
This year (and last) are his peak with tr Pluto conjunct his Jupiter with Solar Arc Uranus also conjunct his Jupiter. 2021 won’t be as successful with tr Neptune square his Sun/Saturn midpoint at points; but he will bounce back in 2022 with tr Uranus square his Mars/Jupiter.
Looking at the quandary of why no honour after his 2008 MBE, his relationship chart with the UK has a fraught and hostile composite Mars opposition Saturn square Pluto Sun, so not an entirely amiable chemistry. He is tax resident in Monaco but so are other sportsman and it hasn’t stopped honours for them.
Lewis H. What superb Racer. He does love to win. And he’s a poor loser. I’ve watched how that Sun Jupiter has contributed to his luck – and now he’s the greatest F1 Racer ever. What’s fascinated me too is the envy jealousy he evokes from lesser mortals. There’s a love hate thing towards him from the Brits. Given the gloomy Saturn-Mars he’s quite right to high-tail it to Monaco
“Looking at the quandary of why no honour after his 2008 MBE, his relationship chart with the UK has a fraught and hostile composite Mars opposition Saturn square Pluto Sun, so not an entirely amiable chemistry.”
I think this is partly because the truly bad name some horrible British people in Racing World have given to the whole sport. Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone in particular. Someone with a background in a less tainted – despite UEFA and FIFA scandals and immensely bigger comprehensive financial turnout – sport such as pro football like Marcus Rashford doesn’t have to spend 15 years proving that yes, he is an actual good person doing loads of charity work to get recognition.
He probably will be given one as he and his team feel he so richly deserves one. The media love putting pressure over these awards with thier moral compass and political agenda. I’d rather see it go to someone who pays tax in the UK rather than a Tax resident in Monaco like Marcus Rashford.
It runs in my mind that there were allegations a few years ago about Hamilton who (I think) lives in Monaco and therefore would not pay tax in the UK (the whole raison d’etre for living there frankly). Certainly tax status / avoidance / evasion etc is looked at when deciding honours and awards. Plus he did annoy people from his home town when he slagged it off – not that that would merit rejection for an award – but doesn’t look good.
Personally I find him rather bland and uncharismatic (as an interviewee / “personality”) – but then again other F1 drivers are – Nigel Mansell comes to mind.
Sean Connery – knighthood 2000 – many many years a tax exile. etc etc etc
@Shellyn, no matter what single driver’s tax status is, F1 does bring money to The UK economy. Both today’s Mercedes and McLaren where Hamilton started have headquarters and testing in Britain, and run at roughly 150 million euros yearly budget. You also host a GP at Silverstone, which holds 150 k people.
Not to mention football. Marcus Rathford – for whose tax residency in Monaco I couldn’t find any source – plays foe Manchester United. Manchester would not (and does not have currently) tourism industry if it wasn’t for two internationally competitive football clubs. There is also maybe surprising synergy with other industries – I personally have worked for a company with their British headquarters in Manchester because frequent and relatively cheap commercial flights and lower rents than in London. The frequent and relatively cheap commercial flights would not have been possible without football fans flocking to the area starting from the late 1990’s
Why is speaking up for Black Lives Matter an example of “shenanigans”?
I assume your referring to my previous comment.
If not, ignore this.
I used the word “shenanigans” (rightly or wrongly) to highlight his off-track, non-F1 related activity, whatever that may be, controversial or not. I was refering to elements of his personal life, away from the track – without judgement.
OK yes. I believe that word can be used to describe any “high-spirited” activity.
As well as more secretive manoeuvring.
Hamilton did, and still is speaking up for BLM in a very active, visible and upfront way.
So the word shenanigans is valid here.
Very happy for and proud of this fellow. His growth is admirable. He’s technically the greatest ever based on stats, but let the critics keep being intransigent of what’s obvious. In case they haven’t realized, he feeds off their negativity and channels it towards greatness. I fear they stop and he loses that mojo. So let them have at it till he clinches #8! To quote his most infamous tattoo, “Still I Rise”. #G.O.A.T
Seems the coming year may present some challenges. That’s fine. Losing next year may be his opportunity to evolve again while giving the sport a fresh champion.
Thank you Marjorie.
I don’t think anyone who isn’t paying thier tax in the UK should get one but then I’m just a British tax payer earning less in a year with 2 jobs than what Lewis Hamilton and Marcus Rutherford earn a minute. I think these awards should only go to the thousands of people who volunteer and serve the UK. Not to millionaire tax dodgers who I have personally have no respect for when I probably pay more than them.
@Shellen, I’m a Finn and you know how much we love good tax payers here, but I still think there are infinitely much better ways to render service to a country than paying taxes, even high ones. And this is actually how Order of The British Empire works. These are not “awards”, they are “honours”, given for serving the country. Most countries have similar orders, and in most cases, one does not have to be a citizen or even live in the country to receive one. So, they are not typically somehow dependant on one’s tax status. In Britain, I remembered there are limitations to titles coming with these honours for foreigners. Our former PM Harri Holkeri was involved in brokering Good Friday Agreement, and my understanding was he would have been entitled to being called “sir” if he was a British citizen. I checked this out, and sure enough, he was a KBE. Apparently, Terry Wogan received KBE when he was still Irish citizen, and later, when he became British citizen, and became Sir Terry Wogan.
@Troy, I usually don’t like dropping this name, because it kind of locates me, but the late McLaren Team doctor and F1 Consultant Aki Hintsa was from my neck of the wood (literally) and our families are acquainted. He became very close with Lewis Hamilton, because he was there when Lewis was first signed. They’d stay in touch even after Aki started his independent business concentrated in mental training for high achieving sport personalities and teams, and Lewis even attended Aki’s funeral despite logistic difficulties. Our hometown is actually remote enough so that Aki would bring drivers to “retreats” there, and this also happened when Lewis Hamilton first started at McLaren. So, we have some “insider information” on drivers. And with Lewis Hamilton, people were truly surprised on how polite and humble was, given how he’d been portrayed in media. I think he was put through some things involving ice and cold just to show what his Finnish competitors had endured, and he didn’t complain (other non-Finns did, apparently).
I also heard something similar from a now sadly passed Italian friend from Monza, who did in house photography at Autodrome later in life. He though Hamilton was second only to Senna as a pilot, and definitely the most professional one, causing much less drama people thought at circuit. Got quite a lot of scolding on this from all the “ferraristi” friends, even if he liked Räikkönen too. But even when Vettel was competitive, and snatched Championships from Hamilton, he thought Hamilton was a better driver and less complicated to work with, and was on record telling Vettel would never win Championship with Ferrari.
@Solaia: I could go into a diatribe about Ferrari culture and Vettel’s attitude but this isn’t the forum. Suffice to say I’m glad Lewis was smart to avoid that team.
Some good info on your part; much obliged. Your friend had it pretty much spot on.
You seem to have a lot of inside info. If I had to guess your current or former profession, I’d say journalist.
The not so great chart with the UK is unsurprising. It looks real bleak.
Many there have taken issue with him speaking up loudly for BLM, paying tax overseas and even his fashion choices. But he’s clearly the best of his generation, at least. He can back his shenanigans up with on-track wins, so good for him.