Lewis Hamilton wears a T-shirt at the Tuscan Grand Prix calling for action over the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky. Photograph: Hasan Bratic/SIPA/Shutterstock
The debate will rage over whether Lewis Hamilton is the greatest Formula One driver of all time but, as with all arguments spanning sporting eras, it will never be resolved. What is incontrovertible is that he is F1’s most successful driver and it was recognised in his winning the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award on Sunday.
Hamilton deserved it but had he not won it would not matter a jot. His actions off the track this year stand alongside his remarkable achievements; they had far greater import than what is ultimately a trinket to crown a popularity contest and they engendered a legacy that will span generations.