Priti 4 Witham

Readers may have picked up from my blog site that I enjoy motor sports and in particular Formula One racing. So tomorrow, along with (I hope) most of the country I will be cheering for Britain’s Lewis Hamilton to win the British Grand Prix, which is why I read with interest the F1 feature and interview with Hamilton in today’s  Daily Telegraph. The interview provides an insight into one of the most cut throat and competitive high end sports in the world. Throughout the piece there is a genuine recognition from key  F1 players, that Hamilton’s achievements are down to him, his ability and professionalism and nothing to do with being black.  As Bernie Ecclestone stated in the feature, the colour of Hamilton’s skin does not make him any faster or slower than other drivers, clearly  unlike politics, there is no room for political correctness in F1. The interview with Hamilton gives an insight into how grounded, unflashy and professionally focussed the young driver is. He is focussed on the job and not on the celebrity or the fame. It is obvious that his family have sacrificed a great deal to support his ability and yet it is not something that he feels the need to carp on about. He speaks frankly about being in demand, because as a winner, everyone now wants to be associated with him. As a result, he openly states that he can count his true friends on one hand. I found his focus, his level headed and pragmatic approach to life a refreshing contrast to our star struck, celebrity hungry politicians who crave the type of fame and popularity only achieved by talented individuals, such as Mr Hamilton.  Good luck Lewis.

The past few days have been great for British sport. The most notable British sporting triumph has to be Lewis Hamilton’s incredible victory in the Canadian Grand Prix at the weekend – he is indeed Britain’s hottest sporting sensation. The second being England’s cricket team third test win over the West Indies. Importantly both of these victories are a reminder of how important sport is when it comes to inspiring our young and also to our own  national identity. Take a look at the young Lewis Hamilton. Lewis is clearly an incredible sportsman whose coolness and maturity sum up his own personal style and attitude. The moving images of Hamilton’s father wiping away a few tears as Lewis enjoyed his podium triumph said a great deal about the hard work and the sacrifices both Lewis and his family have made over the years to get him to where he is today. It also said a great deal about how Lewis’ participation in such a competitive and ruthless sport has given him the confidence and determination to succeed. Which is why in my mind, sport matters for so many reasons. It engages our young and it gives them confidence when they do well. Nationally it brings our country together. It allows us all to be patriotic and to share being British with each other. And in the case of Lewis Hamilton, there is no doubt that this superstar in the making and will provide us all with something to celebrate when he becomes Britain’s next Formula One world champion.