Lewis Hamilton, born on 7 January 1985 in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, is a record-breaking British racing driver currently competing in Formula One for Mercedes. He boasts seven World Drivers’ Championship titles, sharing the record with Michael Schumacher, and holds unprecedented records for most wins, pole positions, and podium finishes, among other records.
Hamilton began his F1 journey with the McLaren Young Driver Programme in 1998, which led him to race for McLaren between 2007 and 2012, standing out as the only black driver in the series.
His debut season was remarkable, narrowly missing the championship title by a point to Kimi Räikkönen. However, for the 2008 season, Hamilton clinched his first F1 title at the Brazilian Grand Prix in a breathtaking manner. On the final lap of the final race of the season, it looked as if Felipe Massa had secured the championship until Hamilton overtook Timo Glock in the Toyota, making him the youngest Formula One World Champion at the time.
In 2013, he joined forces with Mercedes and a year later, with the introduction of turbo-hybrid engines in 2014, Hamilton entered a golden era until 2020. During this time, he secured six more drivers’ titles and achieved back-to-back wins in 2014 and 2015 during a fierce competition with Nico Rosberg.
After Rosberg’s championship win and departure in 2016, Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari emerged as Hamilton’s principal challenger, but Hamilton clinched consecutive titles in 2017 and 2018. He further matched Schumacher’s record by winning titles in 2019 and 2020.
Outside the circus of F1, Hamilton has significantly expanded Formula One’s reach, attracting a diverse audience due to his prominent lifestyle, commitment to environmental and social issues, and ventures in music and fashion. He’s been a leading voice against racism and has championed increased diversity in motorsport. Recognised for his influence, Hamilton was named among Time’s 100 most influential people in 2020 and received a knighthood in 2021.
In 2024, despite being under contract with Mercedes until the end of 2025, Hamilton announced his exit from the team, replacing Carlos Sainz at Ferrari for the start of the 2025 season.
