What a truly fantastic achievement by 32-year-old Lewis Hamilton becoming Formula One racing champion for the fifth time.

I don’t usually watch motor racing but I was transfixed by the drama unfolding throughout the summer and an incredible finale to crown Lewis’s amazing season.

I’d be reluctant to drive to the shops in a car with a steering wheel that comes off so easily let alone travel at 200 mph.

Lewis’s car didn’t have windscreen wipers or mud flaps so how he managed to see where he was going in all that spray is a testament to his amazing skill. His back-up team were fantastic, changing four tyres in seven seconds. (I waited 45 minutes at my local well-known tyre emporium.)

Joking apart, Lewis Hamilton has proved to be a great ambassador for British sport. He’s articulate, educated and cool – exactly the kind of role model kids need.

His ability to string a sentence together devoid of four-letter expletives is a revelation to the Big Brother generation-innit?

When things haven’t gone his way Lewis hasn’t lost his composure, lashed out venomously at his opponents or criticised his manager. He’s addressed his own failings, dug deep and worked harder.

Isn’t that a great example for kids no matter what their ambition?