Local boy made good, Lewis Hamilton, is being showered with accolades after becoming last season’s Formula 1 World Champion in only his second season. He is to be awarded an MBE and immortalised in wax.

First the Gong

The 23-year-old was awarded an MBE in the New Year’s honours list. Hamilton said,

It is a massive honour and incredible privilege for me to receive an MBE from Her Majesty the Queen. 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 McLaren 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.

Next the Wax

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in London announced that the Shephall lad will soon join the ranks of the famous in infamous. Liz Edwards, PR manager for Madame Tussauds told The Comet,

Like the rest of Britain, we were all delighted about Lewis’s Formula 1 championship win.

Although he has only raced in F1 for two seasons, his name has been on our radar for some time and we’d already made our decision to include him before his championship-winning performance because of huge demand from our guests.

The figure will take six months to create and cost of £150,000.

Lewis Hamilton took his girlfriend, Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger, to see Quantum of Solace in his hometown of Stevenage last week.

No one noticed the couple.

Lewis became the youngest ever F1 world champion last weekend. He was brought up in the Shephall area of Stevenage. He is a massive local hero. In fact he is the only local hero. Not a lot happens in Stevenage.

Strange that Lewis and Nicole can spend an evening in Stevenage Leisure Park without anyone noticing them. Without the trapping of fame, celebrities can go unnoticed.

Lewis, told the UK’s Daily Mirror:

It was nice to go back to my home town, have a night out at the cinema and go back to a few old haunts without being recognised. I drove round Stevenage, past the house where I used to live in Peartree Way, past the church where I was baptised and my old primary school. It made me smile.

But I wanted to show Nicole for the first time where I grew up and where I came from. It’s not that long ago since I was there because the last time I drove round the town was earlier this year, and I still go to the dentist in Stevenage.

The story has been completely missed by the local papers. They are campaigning get Lewis an open topped bus parade through the town.

Perhaps people will actually notice he is here then.

Image credit べンジャミン

On becoming the youngest Formula 1 world champion. Lewis came fifth in the Brazilian Grand Prix to clinch the title. The race was won by Felipe Massa, but this was not enough to win him the championship title if Lewis came in fifth.

On the second to last corner of the final lap Lewis overtook Timo Glock to win the championship by 1 point. I was literally on the edge of my seat for the end of the race. An excellent end to an excellent season.

Lewis went to school in Stevenage, and is a big local hero. Listening to him talk on the TV yesterday you never would tell he spent time here. He sounded like he had a French accent.

I am looking forward to next season. I am thinking I may go to the British Grand Prix to watch it live.