Petition calls for John Surtees knighthood

John Surtees

(GMM) A petition in Britain is calling for the knighthood of formula one legend John Surtees.

"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Knight John Surtees, the only formula one and motor bike world champion," the opening stanza of the petition, located on the website of British PM Gordon Brown (http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Sir-John-Surtees/), reads.

Supporters of Surtees, who is 73, have until May next year to sign the petition.

Surtees won the 500cc championship in 1956, and several successive world motorcycle titles, but four years later, at the age of 26, he switched to four wheels with the famous F1 team Lotus.

The Briton made an immediate impact, finishing second in his second grand prix, scoring pole in his third, and winning the title with Ferrari in 1964.

In the 1970s, Surtees ran his own eponymous team.

Other Britons to receive knighthoods in recent years include Sir Frank Williams, Sir Stirling Moss (both 1999) and Sir Jackie Stewart (2001).