Lewis Hamilton: we need a longer national anthem

Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton won the German Grand Prix on Sunday with a performance described by sports journalists as "breathtaking" and by Lewis himself as "amazing". He took the centre spot on the podium and, as God Save the Queen struck up, was visibly moved to tears.
 
There was just one fly in his ointment: it was all over too soon. Speaking to BBC radio, he complained: "I am massively proud to hear the national anthem. The only thing is that everyone else's is much longer than ours."
 
Hamilton elaborated: "When you're growing up and you see Olympians standing on the podium and you see the old great drivers, you dream of yourself being up there and having the national anthem playing.
 
"When I stand up there and Felipe [Massa] has won, it's ten minutes long and when I'm standing there it lasts half a minute. I would urge the UK to make our national anthem longer."
 
Hamilton didn't say if he felt extra music should be composed for him – perhaps a jazzy middle eight - or if he'd be happy with the simpler solution of singing the second verse as well as the first.
 
In any case, he's not wrong: the rendition of God Save the Queen he stood through on Sunday lasted 44.4 seconds, according to the Daily Telegraph, while the Brazilian anthem – as wept through by Felipe Massa - usually takes about 1min 50secs.
 
Perhaps Hamilton should seek to become a Greek citizen: their national anthem has a remarkable 158 verses – though they usually stick to the first two.

Or he could opt for tax exile in Liechtenstein which uses the same tune as God Save the Queen for its anthem, Oben am jungen Rhein – though they have two verses and sing both. ·