In the aftermath of the Mexican Grand Prix, the world’s media is rightly lauding Lewis Hamilton’s fantastic achievement, after he clinched his fourth Formula One World Championship. But, as we read the endless reams of reports about his success, it’s worth taking a step back and remembering that Britain has another four-time motorsport champion, only his success wasn’t quite as widely reported.

During his career, Scotland’s Dario Franchitti won the Indycar series four times. He also triumphed at the iconic Indianapolis 500 on three occasions, not only adding his image to the imposing Borg Warner trophy, but following in the wheel tracks of his hero Jim Clark. Quite a feat, I think you’ll agree? Yet there was no great fanfare in the British media for Franchitti. Whereas Hamilton can barely walk his now equally famous dogs without being recognised or photographed, for all his achievements, Franchitti could easily pass you in the street unnoticed.

So why the vast difference?

Well, for starters, Indycar has long been treated as the poor relation, especially by the F1 circus. Indeed, when Fernando Alonso, a double world champion, chose to miss the Monaco Grand Prix to race at the Indy 500 in May, his decision was met with a mixture of bewilderment and derision in the F1 paddock. Hamilton himself suggested, rather unkindly, that the general standard in Indycar must be poor if Alonso could qualify fifth and stand a chance of victory as a complete rookie.

Perhaps if we look deeper though, the F1 driver’s reticence towards Indycar can be explained by an underlying fear of it? Alonso aside, how many would be willing to put their reputations, and necks, on the line to run average lap speeds in excess of 230mph just inches from concrete walls? Jenson Button, the 2009 F1 champion, was at least honest enough to admit that Indycar ‘scares the shit’ out of’ him. And that fear is well placed. After all, this series hasn’t just given us a four-time champion, it’s also taken many greats from us too. In the past six years we have tragically lost Dan Wheldon and Justin Wilson, both leaving behind young families.

But while a well-placed ‘fear’ can explain some of the drivers’ attitudes towards Indycar, it doesn’t explain the attitude of the UK media. Why the unwillingness to cover British victories across the Atlantic? The sickening fact is that both Wheldon and Wilson received far more press coverage in death than they ever did for their successes. Wheldon’s horrendous crash in 2011 was agonisingly splashed across the back pages and replayed on mainstream news, yet five months earlier his spectacular, and emotional, second Indy 500 win was overlooked. Surely that can’t be right?

So, while there is no doubting we should applaud and congratulate Hamilton on becoming our most successful British F1 driver, isn’t it about time we truly celebrated our successful British Indycar drivers in the media too? And perhaps try giving this series, that terrifies and enthrals in equal measure, the respect it actually deserves.