Sir Lewis Hamilton And Formula 1 Pay Respect To Queen Elizabeth

Formula 1 is in Italy this weekend, but for a lot of the folks up and down the grid, their thoughts are with the United Kingdom after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

There are also three British drivers on the grid. McLaren's Lando Norris, and Mercedes' complete driver lineup of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton all hail from the UK.

Hamilton especially has a connection to the late matriarch of the Royal Family. He was knighted earlier this past year, just days after the controversial end to the 2021 season in Abu Dhabi.

Sir Hamilton took to Instagram to pay respect to Her Majesty.

"She was truly an iconic leader, an inspiration and a reassuring presence for most, if not all, of our lives," Hamilton wrote.

"She was a symbol of hope for so many and she served her country with dignity, dedication and kindness," he continued. "She was truly like no other and I’m grateful to have lived during her time. Her legacy will be long-lasting and her passing deeply felt."

Hamilton also mentioned having spent time with the Queen and that the two bonded over their love of dogs. The queen famously had Corgis, while Hamilton's English bulldog, Roscoe, often accompanies him to races.

F1 Teams Paid Their Respects To Queen Elizabeth II

Formula 1 started offering their condolences to the Royal Family at the very top. Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali offered his respect in a video posted to social media.

Seven teams on the Formula 1 grid are based in the UK, while three of them — Aston Martin, McLaren, and Williams — are licensed to the UK.

Many teams paid tribute to the Queen during Friday practice ahead of the Italian Grand Prix.

The grid came together to hold a moment of silence.

On-track, Red Bull — technically an Austrian team, but based in Milton Keynes — will run a special tribute on the nose of their RB 18.

Expect more tributes to roll out through the weekend, and especially before lights out on Sunday.

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