Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton is one of those figures who have transcended their sport. The boy from Stevenage, whose family had to find ways to fund the considerable cost of karting, became a seven-time Formula 1 world champion, the record holder for wins and pole positions, and one of the most recognisable figures in modern motorsport history. Yet his career is about more than statistics. It encompasses a remarkably rapid rise through the junior ranks, an extraordinarily successful arrival in F1, a long era with Mercedes, a subsequent move to Ferrari and interests in fashion, music, film and supporting young people.

Early life in Stevenage and karting

Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton was born on 7 January 1985 in Stevenage, England. He became involved in motorsport as a child and began attracting attention for his talent in karting. His father, Anthony Hamilton, worked several jobs to fund his son's racing, a story that is now a well-documented part of Hamilton's early years.

A pivotal moment came when Hamilton was ten. At the 1995 Autosport Awards, he approached then McLaren boss Ron Dennis and told him he wanted to race for his team one day. A few years later, at the age of 13, McLaren signed him to its young driver programme. The team subsequently supported his progress up the motorsport ladder.

Hamilton was one of the standout karting talents of his generation. Karting also brought him into contact with several drivers he would later encounter in Formula 1. Among them was Nico Rosberg, his future team-mate and later one of his biggest rivals.

Through the junior single-seater ranks

The move from karting to single-seaters confirmed that Hamilton's success was not confined to one discipline. He steadily established himself among the leading drivers in British Formula Renault and won the title in 2003. He then moved into the Formula 3 Euro Series.

His first season in European F3 brought fifth place in the championship, but he dominated the category the following year. In 2005, he won 15 of the 20 races and took 17 podium finishes.

Before that, in December 2004, he had his first opportunity to drive a Formula 1 car at Silverstone. The car was a McLaren MP4-19. For a young driver still working his way through the junior ranks, it was his first direct experience of machinery at the highest level.

His final major step before F1 was the 2006 GP2 championship, then Formula 1's leading feeder series. Hamilton raced for ART Grand Prix and won the title in what would be his only season. His performances in GP2 convinced McLaren that he was ready for the top flight. After further F1 testing, he was given a race seat for 2007 alongside two-time world champion Fernando Alonso.

A sensational arrival in Formula 1

Hamilton made his Formula 1 debut in 2007 at the age of 22. He finished third in his very first race in Australia and quickly showed that he needed little time to adapt to racing at the highest level.

During his rookie season, he claimed his first Grand Prix victories and fought for the title until the final race. He ultimately finished second in the championship, narrowly behind Kimi Räikkönen. The very fact that a rookie could immediately challenge the most experienced drivers for the world title made his debut season one of the most remarkable in the championship's history.

A year later, he won the title. The 2008 season culminated in an exceptionally dramatic finale in Brazil. Hamilton needed fifth place, and that was exactly where he crossed the finish line. He scored 98 points in total, just one more than Felipe Massa.

His first title established him as one of the outstanding drivers of his generation. He remained at McLaren until the end of 2012. Although he did not win another title with the team, he continued to take regular Grand Prix victories and remained among the very best drivers on the grid.

The move that changed his career

At the end of 2012, Hamilton announced that he was leaving McLaren for Mercedes. At the time, the competitive merits of the decision were far from certain. Since returning as a works team, Mercedes had yet to become a dominant force in the championship.

Hamilton's first season with Mercedes in 2013 brought one victory and fourth place in the championship.

The situation changed dramatically in 2014, when Formula 1 introduced a new generation of hybrid power units. Mercedes became the defining team of the era that followed, and Hamilton secured his second world title. He added another in 2015.

It was his years at Mercedes that formed the core of Hamilton's historic record. From 2014, he won six of the next seven championships.

The battle with Rosberg

His rivalry with Nico Rosberg was a defining chapter of this era. The pair had known each other since their youth, but as Mercedes team-mates they fought for world titles during a period when the team often had the most competitive car.

Hamilton won the titles in 2014 and 2015, while Rosberg beat him in 2016 before retiring at the end of the season.

Their rivalry was one of the defining stories of the first half of Mercedes' dominant era. After Rosberg's departure, Valtteri Bottas became Hamilton's team-mate.

Five titles in six years

Hamilton won further world titles in 2017 and 2018, when Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel mounted strong challenges. In 2019, he added his sixth title.

The 2020 season held particular historical significance. Hamilton secured his seventh title, equalling Michael Schumacher's record. He sealed the championship with victory in the rain-affected Turkish Grand Prix. That same year, he also surpassed Schumacher's previous record of 91 Formula 1 victories.

Those achievements put him at the top of several all-time statistical lists. He holds the records for wins and pole positions, while his seven titles put him level with Michael Schumacher at the top of the all-time standings.

2021 and one of modern F1's closest battles

The 2021 season brought a head-to-head battle between Hamilton and Max Verstappen. They arrived at the final round in Abu Dhabi level on points.

Hamilton led for most of the season finale, but a safety car deployment and a subsequent restart for the final lap shaped the closing stages. Verstappen overtook Hamilton to claim his first title, while Hamilton finished second.

That also brought to an end a period in which Hamilton had won six titles in seven seasons.

A more challenging period for Mercedes

Formula 1 introduced substantially revised technical regulations in 2022. Mercedes initially struggled to recapture the form of its most successful years with the new generation of cars, and in 2022 Hamilton failed to win a Grand Prix for the first time in his F1 career.

His winless run ended on home soil at Silverstone in 2024. Hamilton won the British Grand Prix 945 days after his previous victory. It was his ninth win at the circuit.

The 2024 season was also his last with Mercedes. Their partnership lasted twelve seasons and delivered six drivers' titles.

A new chapter at Ferrari

In February 2024, Ferrari officially announced that Hamilton would join the Scuderia from the 2025 season on a multi-year contract.

The move was significant not only because Hamilton was leaving the team with which he had achieved most of his records, but also because it brought together one of the most successful drivers in history and Formula 1's most famous name.

Ferrari thus became the third team of his career, after McLaren and Mercedes. For a biography intended to stand the test of time, this is a natural point at which to end the chronological account; the latest season's results can be added separately before each new campaign.

Driver number 44

For much of his career, Hamilton has been closely associated with the number 44. When Formula 1 introduced permanent race numbers, he chose it as a nod to the number he had used in his early karting days.

The number 44 gradually became part of his personal identity and also features in the name of his charitable organisation, Mission 44.

Fashion, music and life beyond the paddock

Hamilton has also established a high profile outside motorsport during his career. He has spoken publicly about his longstanding interest in music and fashion. He has described music as one of his main hobbies and has pursued playing the guitar, singing, songwriting and recording.

His interest in fashion also developed into professional collaborations. He created collections with Tommy Hilfiger and became a regular presence at fashion events. Formula 1 describes him as one of the paddock's most prominent fashion figures.

In interviews, he has named surfing, skiing, diving and other outdoor sports among his leisure activities. He has sought to combine his physical preparation with activities he regards as more than routine training.

Hamilton also became involved in the film industry. He founded the production company Dawn Apollo Films and became a producer on projects involving film and motorsport.

Mission 44 and promoting inclusion

As his success grew, Hamilton increasingly used his public profile to champion social causes, particularly diversity, education and access to opportunities in motorsport.

In 2020, he launched the Hamilton Commission, a research project focused on Black representation in British motorsport. Its recommendations were followed by the creation of Mission 44, which Hamilton founded to support young people in education and access to careers, including in STEM fields and motorsport.

This is an important part of his public work, linking his own childhood experiences with efforts to improve opportunities for the next generation.

His place in motorsport history

Hamilton's career encompasses several extraordinary chapters: karting success, dominant junior seasons, the GP2 title, a Formula 1 debut campaign that almost delivered the championship, his first world title with McLaren and a subsequent era of historic success with Mercedes.

His statistics speak for themselves. Seven world titles, more than a hundred wins and more than a hundred pole positions make him one of Formula 1's all-time record holders. His story is also unusually wide-ranging, spanning motorsport, fashion, music, film and philanthropic projects.