Hailing from the UK, Lewis Hamilton comes from a land that has produced some of the most legendary athletes accross various sports. However, according to former England soccer star Ben Foster, Hamilton is the greatest of them all.
In an episode of his YouTube podcast ‘Fozcast’, the ex-Watford goalkeeper brought out a list of some of the best British athletes of all time. Featuring the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan, Andy Murray, and Lennox Lewis, Hamilton topped the list for Foster.
Ben Foster ranks Lewis Hamilton as the greatest British sportsman of all time https://t.co/5LxE7MlkcL pic.twitter.com/sX7m7ijDz7
— ali (@dxbestani) June 16, 2024
Debuting with McLaren in 2007, Hamilton stands as one of the most successful F1 drivers in history. In 341 race starts, the Briton has won 103 Grand Prixs; accounting for 30% of the total. Furthermore, he has been on the podium 197 times. Hamilton also has the most points in F1 history with 4694.5, not to mention the seven World Championships he has won.
All these points make the Stevenage-born driver a valid recipient of the former Premier League player’s honor. But to many, he received national recognition a bit too late.
Did Lewis Hamilton receive his knighthood too late?
Hamilton became ‘Sir Lewis Hamilton’ in December 2021, after earning his Knighthood from King (then Prince) Charles. Named in the New Year’s list of honorees, Hamilton became only the fourth F1 driver ever to earn this honor and the first to earn it while still competing.
Sir Lewis Hamilton received his knighthood today ⚔️
Look how proud his mother is ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ktohZc2uRm
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) December 15, 2021
However, popular belief was that he should have received his knighthood a year earlier. In 2020, he became the most successful F1 driver of all time, having bested Michael Schumacher’s record of most wins and equaling him for the most number of Championships won (7).
Instead, Hamilton received his Knighthood after perhaps his most heartbreaking loss ever. At the Abu Dhabi GP in 2021 (November), he painfully lost out on his eighth World Championship to Max Verstappen in the final lap, just weeks before his Knighthood ceremony.
Following the 2021 season, Hamilton hasn’t won any race in F1. His team – Mercedes – entered a slump and the 39-year-old has been left languishing in the midfield. With Hamilton moving to Ferrari in 2025, the expectation is that he will get back to winning ways once again.
