Hamilton made MBE in Honours list

The McLaren driver has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire because of his services to motor racing.

With Hamilton admitting recently that his championship success had still not sunk in following the dramatic finale in Brazil, he confessed that he was 'humbled' to be now honoured by the Queen.

"It is a massive honour and incredible privilege for me to receive an MBE from Her Majesty The Queen, " he explained. "It is the most amazing culmination to what has been quite a year for me. The support I have received from the UK as a whole has been fantastic and a huge motivation. It is something I am very appreciative of.

"This is not just a proud moment for me, but also for my family and every single person involved with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula One team. I could not have achieved any of this without them.

"It has been an outstanding year for British sport as a whole, and it is great to see so many fellow sportsmen and women being honoured today.

"I am also very humbled to be included on the Honours list alongside all the members of the general public who have been recognised for their tireless work in such varied and worthwhile arenas.

"I am very fortunate to have been awarded for achieving my dream. It has required a lot of hard work and dedication, however it has been worth every single minute and I only hope that I can inspire young kids to do the same, whatever their dream may be."

The New Year Honours List was dominated by sport's figures, with triple Beijing Olympic cycling champion Chris Hoy being knighted and double gold-winning swimmer Rebecca Adlington becoming an OBE.