If we were to suggest that Lewis Hamilton was one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time, that'd be a pretty accurate suggestion. If we also went on to say that he's an incredibly polarizing figure, that'd also be accurate.

Today, we want to take a deeper look at some of the questions and, frankly, concerns, that people have in regard to positioning Lewis as one of England's greatest sporting heroes.

Sure, he's won a lot of world titles, but there's so much more to his story than that - and it's why he's actually not as popular as you might think.

20 He Wasn’t An Overnight Success

Hamilton doesn't have an underdog story type of background by any stretch of the imagination, because he's been karting since before he even hit puberty. Overnight success stories are the ones we attach ourselves to as fans, and he doesn't qualify under that specific category. Not by a long shot.

19 Nearly Messed Up His First Title

Heading into the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix it certainly appeared as if it was Lewis Hamilton's world title to lose, and he nearly did just that. He only managed to win as a result of a questionable final corner overtake to finish fifth in the race, pipping Massa to top spot.

18 He Doesn’t Know A Life Away From Racing

When all you know is your job, in this case, racing, it can make other activities and hobbies pretty difficult to take up. Hamilton was pretty much handed a kart or a car of some description from an incredibly early age, and nobody really knows what would've become of him aside from that.

17 Beaten By Kimi Raikkonen

In the 2007 World Championship, Hamilton seemed as if he was going to pull off the unthinkable by capturing the title. Alas, following a crazy set of circumstances, he was pipped to the post by Kimi Raikkonen who shocked the world to claim the gold and become a world champion.

16 LGBT Controversy

A video was released a few years back of Lewis Hamilton mocking his nephew for wearing a dress, implying that boys shouldn't do such a thing. While he attempted to make up for it with some kind of PR tour, it's not exactly an issue that'll be forgotten any time soon.

15 Locked Horns With Alonso

It's never a good sign when you can't get along with your teammate or any fellow driver for that matter. Alas, Hamilton just never seemed to bond with Fernando Alonso in the sort of way you'd expect two professionals such as them to behave. Based on the evidence, we can understand why.

14 Star Of The Money Era

Back in the day Formula 1 was all about the passion of driving and the spirit of the competition. Nowadays, it feels as if it's all based on the insane money that is being pumped into the sport on a year to year basis. Hamilton is at the forefront of that movement.

13 A Supposed Arsenal Fan

We just aren't big fans of people who claim to support a team but don't actually put any real backing behind them in any way, shape or form. Lewis Hamilton slots into that category perfectly, and beyond that, Arsenal aren't exactly the most popular club in the world - and rightfully so.

12 The “Why Bother” Message

The following message was put out by Lewis Hamilton on his social media pages, and we just can't even begin to understand it. Some think it was a call for help whereas others believe it was a way for him to gain some more attention, but either way, it isn't exactly pleasant.

11 Caught Speeding In France

Back in 2007, Lewis Hamilton was suspended from driving in France for a month as a result of being caught speeding on the motorway. As opposed to learning from his mistakes he went on to have a similar indiscretion a few years later in Australia because of course, he did.

10 The McLaren Betrayal

There have been plenty of people who have been dubbed turncoats or traitors in sports for a variety of different reasons over the years, and Lewis Hamilton is one of them. The reason is due to his move from McLaren to Mercedes, which many saw as him turning his back on the people that essentially made him.

9 Tax Problems

From wanting to move to Switzerland to actually moving to Monaco, Hamilton has made no secret of the fact that he has never wanted to pay as much tax as he should be when you consider what he does for a living. With his private jet alone he reportedly hasn't paid up to £3.5 million on tax for it, which says a lot.

8 Nicole Scherzinger Relationship Was Controversial

The primary issue with Lewis' relationship with Nicole Scherzinger was that A) she was being given too much attention at races in comparison to the drivers themselves, and B) that they were too on and off for fans of Hamilton's to really invest into the relationship. It's just a shame.

7 The American Accent

He's meant to be proud to be British but for some reason, Lewis has this bizarre American twang to his voice that many believe to be fake. Regardless of whether or not you actually believe that doesn't really matter, but either way, it's an interesting anecdote for a very interesting man.

The perceived arrogance of Lewis Hamilton has led to the majority of Brits writing him off as a sportsman they don't really want to associate themselves with. Sure, he's got some fans, but the overriding feeling is that he doesn't do enough for the country that made him who he is today.

5 Calling Stevenage A “Slum”

During his appearance at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards, Lewis Hamilton called his hometown of Stevenage, the "slums." He may have made the decision to issue an apology pretty soon afterward, but let's be honest, this isn't the best look for someone who wants to be a good role model.

4 The Superstar Driver

Expensive clothes, a superstar attitude and more sass than all of the other drivers put together - is it any wonder that Lewis Hamilton is known for being the last of the remaining superstar drivers? He flies that flag high, but we're not so sure that's a good thing when you really think about it.

3 Came Across Badly In Rosberg Rivalry

From constant bickering to ignoring orders from his team, Lewis always seemed to take exception to Nico Rosberg being viewed as the shiny new toy within his team. From a sportsmanship point of view, it didn't really do the public's perception of him any good at all, and that's an understatement.

2 Not Bothered About The Knighthood

Lewis Hamilton is not bothered by calls for him to receive a knighthood and while some would mistake that as him being humble, we just can't bring ourselves to agree. It comes across as arrogance more so than anything else, which we can't imagine is the picture they want to paint within his team.

1 Still Isn’t Better Than Schumacher

While Hamilton may be achieving some great things right now, he's still behind the one they call the greatest of all time - Michael Schumacher. Lewis has six world titles to Michael's seven, and while he's close, he can't even begin to think about claiming the GOAT title until he surpasses him.