Lewis Hamilton: Greatest British F1 driver, ever!

Yesterday late afternoon I nervously settled down with my son to watch what I hoped would be Lewis Hamilton show-boating his way to the record books by winning his fourth world FI championship in Mexico.

I told my son ‘Hamilton has no need to fight the young gun Max Verstappon or his nearest rival Sebastian Vettel’, who were both on the front grid with Hamilton behind on third. ‘As long as he finishes in fifth place, he’ll be the champion. End of!’

But one thing that sets great racers apart, and this is doubly so with Hamilton, they only ever want to win. And so it was on the third corner as the race began Hamilton saw a gap as the two front men battled it out for the lead, and he darted through. At one point all three drivers where side by side, Verstappon took the corner which gave him the lead, Hamilton had been edged in front fierce rival-Vettel , but then disaster struck . The impetuous Vettel might have slowed down to avoid Hamilton, but didn’t. His nose wing punctured Hamilton’s tire and from being 2nd in the race the Championship leader fell to last place. The culprit Vettel damaged the car’s nose and had to come to replace, but for Hamilton, what should have been a stroll became a nail-biting slog.

In the end Vettel could not gain the 2nd place he needed and Hamilton struggled to ninth but ensured he was world champion for a record 4th time. But that race, in many ways summed up this extraordinary talent: only with skill and daring can you dream of being the very best in Formula one. But skill and daring is only half the story when it comes to Hamilton’s success. There is no sport on earth that demands so much financial sponsorship for up and coming talent.

Therefore, on paper Hamilton from his humble beginnings and his racial background should not have been remotely considered. And yet, in no small measure due to the energy and tenaciousness of his father, who mortgaged his house to help his son, along with Lewis’s god given talent this miracle occurred.

Now Lewis Hamilton stands on the threshold of challenging what seemed to be the impregnable record of seven time F1 champion Michael Schumacher.

Whatever happens in the future the mixed heritage wonder- kid from Stevenage has not only become the best the UK has ever known but also brought a global Black audience to the world’s most prestigious motor sport Formula One.

Well done Lewis.

Simon Woolley