Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton was born on January 7, 1985, in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England, into a mixed-race family. His father Anthony — whose parents had immigrated from Grenada in the West Indies in the 1950s — and his mother Carmen separated when Lewis was around two years old. He lived with his mother until age 10, before moving in with his father Anthony, stepmother Linda, and young stepbrother Nicolas. Anthony Hamilton juggled multiple jobs simultaneously to fund his son's racing ambitions. Lewis drew quiet inspiration from his stepbrother Nicolas, who lives with cerebral palsy. "I only have to think of Nic to feel motivated and put a smile on my face," Lewis has said publicly on many occasions. At just eight years old, Lewis was given a well-used go-kart — a gift that set the course of his entire life. By age 10, he was already competing and winning. At the Autosport Awards ceremony in London in 1995, the young Hamilton approached McLaren team principal Ron Dennis and introduced himself with quiet confidence. Dennis encouraged Hamilton to stay in touch about his future in racing. A few years later, it was Dennis who made the call — offering to financially support Lewis's career through the McLaren development programme.

In 1998, at just 13 years old, Hamilton was signed to the McLaren young driver development programme — one of the youngest drivers ever to be backed by a Formula 1 team. The agreement provided financial support, technical coaching, and a potential pathway into Formula 1 itself. He did not take a single step for granted. Year by year, he worked through every level of the junior racing ladder with discipline and consistency. He won the Formula Renault UK Championship in 2003, progressed through the F3 Euro Series in 2004, and in 2006 — the final stepping stone before Formula 1 — he won the GP2 Championship with ART Grand Prix, under team principal Frédéric Vasseur, the same man who would later lead him at Ferrari in 2025. During his junior career, Hamilton also tested a Formula 1 car with McLaren — a milestone moment he had dreamed of since childhood. Two years after that test, his dream became reality.

Lewis Hamilton arrived in Formula 1 not as a hopeful — but as a statement. He made his F1 debut with McLaren in 2007, partnered alongside two-time defending World Champion Fernando Alonso. Rather than being overwhelmed, Hamilton nearly won the championship in his very first season — an achievement that signalled immediately that the sport had something extraordinary on its hands. In 2008 — just his second year in Formula 1 — Hamilton became the youngest World Champion in the sport's history at the time, winning the title on the last corner of the last lap of the final race of the season by a single point in Brazil. It remains one of the most dramatic finales Formula 1 has ever witnessed. After six seasons with McLaren, Hamilton made the surprise decision to join Mercedes in 2013. What followed was a period of sustained dominance. At Mercedes, he won six further World Championships — in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 — establishing himself as one of the most successful drivers in the history of the sport. By the end of his Mercedes chapter, Hamilton had accumulated 105 Grand Prix victories, 203 podium finishes, and 104 pole positions — all all-time Formula 1 records verified by Formula1.com. In February 2024, Hamilton announced he would leave Mercedes and join the iconic Scuderia Ferrari for the 2025 season — a decision that sent shockwaves across the entire sport. Ferrari and Hamilton appeared to redirect significant focus toward the sweeping new technical regulations arriving in 2026. Hamilton himself reflected on the season honestly, telling Formula1.com: "When you have difficult years, there are lots of questions all over the place" — while making clear he never considered walking away.

Lewis Hamilton has always understood that his platform carries a responsibility far greater than winning races. Following his seventh World Championship in 2020, Hamilton was officially knighted at Windsor Castle by HRH The Prince of Wales — becoming Sir Lewis Hamilton in recognition of his achievements both on and off the track. In 2021, he founded Mission 44 — a global charitable foundation named after his famous race number. Its purpose is clear: to drive change so that every young person can thrive in school and access great careers in STEM. The foundation was born directly from Hamilton's own experience of exclusion and discrimination growing up, and his determination — as the only person of colour in his field — to ensure no young person faces the same barriers he did. As Mission44.org states in his own words: "Despite the championships, the wins and the pole positions, setting up Mission 44 has been my proudest achievement so far." Hamilton also formed The Hamilton Commission alongside the Royal Academy of Engineering — a landmark research initiative examining the underrepresentation of Black people in UK motorsport and the broader STEM sector. Away from activism, he has become one of the most recognisable fashion figures in world sport, regularly attending the Met Gala and using his global platform to champion Black designers and cultural representation in high fashion.

At 41 years old, Sir Lewis Hamilton is not finished. He is focused on one final mission. Now in his second season with Scuderia Ferrari, Hamilton is pursuing an eighth World Championship title — a number that would make him the most decorated Formula 1 driver in the history of the sport, going beyond the seven titles he currently shares with the legendary Michael Schumacher. Ferrari's renewed competitiveness under the 2026 technical regulations has given Hamilton genuine reason for optimism. He has "Still I Rise" tattooed across his shoulders — and across nearly two decades in Formula 1, that phrase has proven to be less a statement and more a promise. The story of Sir Lewis Hamilton is not simply a story about speed or trophies. It is the story of a boy from Stevenage, Hertfordshire, who was handed a second-hand go-kart, a father's belief, and a dream — and who refused, at every single turn, to be told that it was not enough.

Most Asked Questions About Lewis Hamilton:

Q: Is Lewis Hamilton retiring?

A: No — Hamilton has publicly stated he is "not going anywhere" and remains committed to racing with Ferrari in 2026.

Q: Is Lewis Hamilton returning to Mercedes?

A: No — Mercedes confirmed George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli as their 2026 drivers, making a Lewis Hamilton return highly unlikely.

Q: How many podiums does Lewis Hamilton have with Mercedes?

A: Hamilton achieved 153 podium finishes across his 12 seasons with Mercedes — the most by any driver with a single team in F1 history.

Q: How long is Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari contract?

A: Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari contract is a 3-year deal covering the 2025, 2026, and 2027 seasons, with possible extension options beyond that.

Q: Where does Lewis Hamilton live?

A: Hamilton primarily resides in Monaco, with additional properties in Milan, London, Colorado, and New York.

Q: Who replaced Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes?

A: Italian teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli was confirmed as Hamilton's replacement at Mercedes for the 2025 season alongside George Russell.

Q: Does Lewis Hamilton own an NFL team?

A: Yes — Hamilton holds a minority ownership stake in the Denver Broncos as part of the Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group, which he joined in 2022.

Q: What does Lewis Hamilton drive?

A: In Formula 1, Hamilton currently drives the Ferrari SF-26 for Scuderia Ferrari in the 2026 season.

Q: Why is Lewis Hamilton the best F1 driver?

A: Hamilton holds the all-time F1 records for most wins (105), most pole positions (104), and most podium finishes (203), alongside seven World Championship titles.

Q: Lewis Hamilton car collection?

A: Hamilton sold his entire collection — which previously included rare Ferraris, McLarens, and Mercedes hypercars valued at an estimated £13 million — in 2025.