WE LIVE in an era where honours are distributed to sportsmen like confetti – this was not always the case.
I have been alerted to an online petition that does demand the attention of every British motorsport fan.
Next year will mark the 50th anniversary of John Surtees becoming a ‘double’ world champion.
Having already been crowned 500cc motorcycle World Champion in 1956, 1958, 1959 and 1960, the racer from Tatsfield in Surrey hung up his leathers and the two wheels of his MV Agusta and turned his attention to four wheels and Ferrari.
He duly added the Formula One World Champion’s title in 1964.
In this day and age just winning one world title puts you distinctly in the frame for a quick dubbing by Her Majesty, so surely Surtees should already have had his name prefaced by Sir by now.
It is not that Surtees has gone unrecognised and five years ago he was awarded an OBE to upgrade the MBE already in his possession, but with the 50th anniversary imminent, some enterprising fans have decided to put together an online petition pushing for the knighthood.
So let’s put the Sir in Surtees – to do so go to www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/sirjohnsurtees
