Queen Elizabeth to honour Lewis Hamilton on Wednesday

Buckingham Palace on Monday said  racing driver Lewis Hamilton will be Knighted at a Windsor Castle investiture on Wednesday.

According to a statement,  Hamilton will receive the Honour of Knighthood for “services to motorsports”.

AFP adds: After the chaos and confusion of that now infamous last lap in Abu Dhabi on Sunday which saw Max Verstappen claim his first world title, what of the vanquished Lewis Hamilton, the man who led the race for so long and was so agonisingly close to an unprecedented eighth world title?

At 36, the Briton is in the latter part of his career, the opportunities to add to his record 103 race victories likely to become more scarce with every passing season. No one would blame him for packing his bags and leaving the stage.

And yet it looks certain that Hamilton will return next season more determined than ever to claim that eighth title.

Any prospect of the seven-time champion walking away, having already committed himself to another two years with Mercedes, receded on Monday as sources close to him and his family made clear they expect him to extend his career into a 16th season.

His near-flawless display at the Yas Marina Circuit where he held a comfortable 11-seconds lead until a series of events, including decisions by Race Director Michael Masi, left him facing a fateful ´manipulated´ last lap sprint on worn tyres, proved he remains a supreme racing driver.

His vast sporting and technical experience, his value to Mercedes as both driver and marketing commodity, his global value to Formula One as the burgeoning sport-business expands rapidly in America and other new markets, attracting a diverse new demographic audience, make him virtually irreplaceable.