Lewis Hamilton is arguably one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time having won 7 World Championships during his time in the sport. He lost out on his eighth Championship in heartbreaking fashion at the 2021 season finale, but most people expected him to return with vengeance this season.
Unfortunately, Mercedes’ failed to cope with the regulation changes as well as Red Bull and Ferrari. The Silver Arrows ended up struggling to match the pace of the top two teams, and Hamilton’s performance was impacted as a result. Hamilton’s new teammate George Russell ended up outperforming him, finishing ahead of him in the Championship standings.
It was a difficult season by Hamilton’s standards, but the Brit ended up winning the ‘British Competition Driver of the Year Award’ handed out by Autosport. He won this award ahead of Russell and McLaren star Lando Norris. The 37-year-old finished the season in P6, with nine podium finishes to his name.
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Lewis Hamilton praises Britain’s F1 talent while accepting best driver award
Hamilton was not present at the award ceremony on Sunday, which featured the likes of Sebastian Vettel and George Russell. However, he gave a heartfelt speech after being declared the winner. In his speech, he thanked his fans and the Autosport readers for choosing him as the best, but also shed light on the amount of talent his country produces when it comes to racing.
“I am sorry I couldn’t be there in person,” he said. “But a huge thank you to all the Autosport readers.”
“There are some amazingly talented drivers this year. I cannot believe how many amazing British drivers we keep producing. So I am honored to win this award, thank you so much.”
This was the eighth time Hamilton won the British Competition Driver of the year award. Some of the biggest names in F1 have won this award previously. Lando Norris, Jenson Button, Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill have all been recipients of this prestigious award.
Hamilton’s former rival Sebastian Vettel, who retired from F1 after the Abu Dhabi GP received the lifetime achievement award at the same event.
