Lewis Hamilton, who won the Formula One title for a record seventh time, has not been termed a sporting great according to snooker star and six-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan.
Lewis Hamilton has enjoyed a record-breaking year in Formula One in 2020. In this season, he has broken Michael Schumacher’s record of the most wins in Formula One with 94. When he won the Portuguese Grand Prix, Hamilton became a seven-time world champion and was level with German legend Michael Schumacher. Lewis Hamilton’s exploits in Formula One have led to calls that he must be conferred with the knighthood. However, one British sporting superstar is not convinced that Lewis Hamilton is a sporting great and he has named seven other superstars who are bonafide greats in their sport.
Ronnie O’Sullivan, one of the most celebrated names in the sport of snooker, has said why Hamilton is not a great. “A lot of the sports I watch - the people that have done it, you have to look whether it’s a level playing field. If you have a car that is going a second a lap quicker than the other cars, in theory all he has to beat is his team-mate Valtteri Bottas – who seems to be comfortable and happy playing second fiddle. I wouldn’t have felt as good about my career in snooker if I had been playing on a table where the pockets I was using were bigger than my opponent’s. It is fantastic for Lewis to win seven world titles, but if your car is going around quicker you can afford to make a few mistakes and still get away with it,” O’Sullivan was quoted as saying by The Sun.
O’Sullivan, who has won the World Snooker title six times, has named Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Roger Federer and darts player Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor as one of the greats as their sport offers a level playing field. In Formula One, there is nothing called a level playing field and it depends on the kind of technology that gives the car the advantage.
“It doesn’t mean as much as say a sport like tennis with [Roger] Federer playing everyone on a level playing field, or Eliud Kipchoge running against everyone on a level playing field.
Snooker is like that, too, with a level playing field. In boxing certain boxers avoid certain fighters so that makes it hard for them to have credibility unless they fought the best. I just think sport is where there is no advantage. You don’t get to choose your opponent or have better equipment. So for me, Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Phil Taylor in darts, Tiger Woods, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo… it’s there to see,” O’Sullivan said.
Not considering knighthood
The demands from the Motorsport UK federation to give Hamilton knighthood have gained momentum with the Royal Family and UK President Boris Johnson all tweeting their congratulations. But, Lewis Hamilton believes that he is not worthy of a knighthood at this point in time, adding that that there are other people worthy of the honour.
“I think about Sir Captain Tom who got knighted and waited a hundred years for that incredible honour. The people that are running hospitals. The nurses and doctors who are saving lives during the hardest time ever, I think about those unsung heroes and I don't look at myself as an unsung hero. I've not saved anybody. It is an incredible honour that a small group of people have had bestowed upon them. All I can say is that standing [on the podium], and hearing the national anthem I'm very, very proud. I am a very proud Brit and that, as I said before, this really is like the most special moment to be able to represent... to be up there representing a nation,” Lewis Hamilton said
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