7-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton reflected on his thoughts after Queen Elizabeth passed away ahead of the 2022 Italian GP.
Lewis Hamilton was busy preparing in Monza for the 2022 Italian GP as the news struck. Elizabeth II, The Queen of the United Kingdom, passed away at the age of 96.
Lewis Hamilton is Britain’s most successful F1 driver. His 7 Championship titles, 103 wins and other records stand above any driver’s tally in the sport’s history.
The Briton to was saddened by the demise of the Queen. Hamilton posted a picture of the Queen on his Instagram account with a beautiful caption signifying how much she meant to the racer.
The post read, “How do you find the words to describe the loss of Her Majesty The Queen? She was truly an iconic leader, an inspiration and a reassuring presence for most, if not all, of our lives.”
View this post on Instagram
It further read, “Since yesterday’s sad news, I’ve been reflecting on her incredible life. She was a symbol of hope for so many and she served her country with dignity, dedication and kindness.
“She was truly like no other and I’m grateful to have lived during her time. Her legacy will be long-lasting and her passing deeply felt,” he added.
In 2021, Hamilton was knighted at Windsor Castle by Prince, now King Charles, after his record-equalling 7th Championship win. He became only the 4th F1 driver to receive the honour after Sir Jackie Stewart, Sir Stirling Moss, and Sir Jack Brabham.
The Queen had admired Hamilton not just for his on-track excellence. But also for his work in increasing inclusivity in Motorsports and raising a voice against inequality and racism.
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Lewis Hamilton and F1 paddock mourn Queen’s death
Lewis Hamilton and the entire F1 paddock expressed grief over the loss of The Queen. F1 has made arrangements to pay respect to the Monarch.
F1 issued a statement on social media paying respect to the Queen. All teams and drivers are expected to observe a moment of silence before the 2022 Italian GP’s FP1 session on Friday.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali pays tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II pic.twitter.com/2DwR3UWqSY
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 9, 2022
F1 teams like Mercedes, Williams and McLaren, amongst others, have issued statements of respect and grief. The British teams like McLaren, Aston Martin and Williams and other teams based in Uk like Mercedes and Red Bull, will mostly feature a black band on the livery of the front wing noses as a mark of respect.
The UK’s coverage of F1 will also be impacted. Sky and BBC have made preparations, and the timings for the race coverage will be shortened by 30 minutes.