CycleChat Investigates - Lewis Hamilton

Should Lewis Hamilton receive a knighthood?

  • Yes. Ace driver, role model, great rapper and fashionista, can do no wrong.

    Votes: 16 29.1%
  • No. He doesn't live or pay taxes in the UK, so what right does he have to a title?

    Votes: 39 70.9%

  • Total voters
    55
  • Poll closed .
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Drago

Legendary Member
Well, young Lewis. What can we say? Provided he doesn't something ridiculously dangerous and get himself disqualified from the championship he will win his 7th title this year. An ace driver.

But there's the other side to him. When things aren't going his way he's a sullen sulk merchant, and that famous incident in 2011 when he blqmed a decision on the colournof his skin (and was seriously chewed out by the FIA over it). He's a history of talking bollards, about how he came from the slums and fought adversity when in fact he came from a solid working class family and was bankrolled into F1 by Ron Dennis, a privilege no driver other than Lance enjoys. Then if you disagree with him you're simply ignorant, apparently, and then there were those interesting tax structures involving his private jet...

And now there is renewed talk of a knighthood.

So its time for the sage minds of CycleChat to give their wise cousel and decide upon Lewis' fate.
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
He'll continue to go on and win races and might turn out to be the best F1 driver ever.
He's still a young guy and the money and fame has certainly turned his head. Fast cars, jets and women but I think he'll turn into a great ambassador for the sport when he matures, that will be the time he should be measured up for a knighthood.
 
All the very best racing drivers aren't terribly nice people. They're self-centred, selfish and don't care who they step on to get what they want. Having spent my share of time in a motorsport environment, both as a research engineer and then later on the media side of things, it's a given fact.

Lewis, for all of his faults, is at the nicer end of that sliding scale for sure. When it comes to other top drivers, I've heard and seen things that would make your hair curl - even if you were bald.

You've forgotten that Max Verstappen is also another product of the "Royal Bank of Dad". Max's temper tantrums make Lewis' appear tame in comparison. He's like a tetchy toddler who needs his bottom paddled. I'd volunteer, but I'd enjoy it too much... :laugh:
 
OP
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Drago

Drago

Legendary Member
Indeed, Jos The Boss helped oil the financial wheels, and most drivers have some level of sometimes quite hefty ginancial backing - talent alone won't domit. Nevertheless, he never outright paid for the cars, training, and downright bankrolled his drive then the way Ron did with Lewis and Lawrence has with Lance.
 

glasgowcyclist

Charming but somewhat feckless
Location
Scotland
There’s no denying he deserves to be a 7-time world champion. His driving skills are phenomenal, as he’s shown since his first year in F1. I do find his displays of gratitude to his fans somewhat artificial, he doesn’t come across as sincere but maybe that’s my misreading of him.

How or where he pays taxes is completely irrelevant to his abilities and achievements.
 

gbb

Legendary Member
Location
Peterborough
I used to like him...not overly, but I'd always cheer on a Brit in any sporting event...but the minute a sportsman high jacks his sport for his own ends, I lose interest in them. I watch sport for sport, not for any political, racial views however well meaning. I can come here to listen to all that.
 
But very relevant when considering whether he should be knighted.

If only all potential candidates had a thorough vetting. Saville, Harris, ..... Tax paying? How many knighted business / government leaders are clean/pay full UK tax:whistle:?

Seems a decent guy, probably as worthy as anyone else and more worthy than quite a few.
 
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You've forgotten that Max Verstappen is also another product of the "Royal Bank of Dad". Max's temper tantrums make Lewis' appear tame in comparison. He's like a tetchy toddler who needs his bottom paddled. I'd volunteer, but I'd enjoy it too much... :laugh:
I haven't followed the sport particularly closely but I farking detest Max Verstappen. He makes Schumi at the peak of his towering arrogance seem like the model of restraint and humility.

Hamilton is a bit of a prannock, and is certainly incredibly talented, but one thing that was clear from my time watching F1 was that you'll fare a lot better as a mediocre driver in a superb car than a superb driver in a mediocre car will. A lot of world champions learned this the hard way.

I would be interested to see how Hamilton would get on if he raced for a team that was scrapping for the last point in every race instead of almost complete dominance.
 

BoldonLad

Not part of the Elite
Location
South Tyneside
I used to like him...not overly, but I'd always cheer on a Brit in any sporting event...but the minute a sportsman high jacks his sport for his own ends, I lose interest in them. I watch sport for sport, not for any political, racial views however well meaning. I can come here to listen to all that.

+1
 
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