F1 News: Lewis Hamilton wins British driver of the Year award as fans debate deservedness
Lewis Hamilton was awarded the British Competition driver of the year award in the Autosport Awards, which has generated debate among fans about whether this is deserved.
Hamilton's achievements and calibre speak for themselves, having demonstrated for well over a decade that he is an elite driver in Formula 1.
With that said, there is a very strong argument that other British drivers performed better in 2022, a season where Lewis Hamilton failed to secure an F1 win for the first time.
This is not to say Hamilton performed poorly this year, as his W13 machine often lacked the pace to fight for the win.
However, Hamilton's British teammate - George Russell - has a strong case for having driven more consistently throughout the season.
The 24-year-old had an objectively better season than his teammate this year, securing more points and the only victory for Mercedes in 2022.
Russell missing out on the award was one of many complaints on social media, with Lando Norris also receiving honourable mentions to be a contender in the award.
Tom Blomqvist is another driver with a case to be named the best British driver this season, winning the IMSA Championship after a year of highly impressive performances.
Britain enjoys a variety of highly talented drivers, both old and young, so there will always be disagreement over who is deserving of the award.
Despite this inevitable debate, it seems reasonable for the likes of Russell of Blomqvist to be aggrieved that they missed out.
Scoring more points than Lewis Hamilton in your first year in the same team is a tremendous accomplishment, begging the question of what else Russell could have done to achieve this award.
There is also the valid point that Formula 1 drivers receive significantly more attention and consideration in such awards, with competitors in other series often being overlooked.