Lewis Hamilton

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Born and raised in Stevenage, Hamilton began his career in karting at age six, winning several national titles and attracting the attention of Ron Dennis, who signed him to the McLaren-Mercedes Young Driver Programme in 1998. After winning the Karting World Cup and European Championship in 2000, Hamilton progressed to junior formulae, where his successes included winning the Formula 3 Euro Series and the GP2 Series. He subsequently signed for McLaren in 2007, becoming the first black driver to compete in Formula One at the Australian Grand Prix. In his rookie season, Hamilton won four Grands Prix and set several records as he finished runner-up to Kimi Räikkönen by one point and tied with his teammate Fernando Alonso. Hamilton won his maiden title in 2008, making a title-deciding overtake on the last lap of the last race of the season to become the then-youngest World Drivers' Champion. The Red Bull–Renault combination prevailed throughout his remaining five seasons at McLaren, with Hamilton achieving multiple race wins in each, including his involvement in a four-way title battle in 2010. Hamilton signed for Mercedes in 2013 to partner his old karting teammate Nico Rosberg, ending his 15-year association with McLaren. Following his maiden victory with the team at the Hungarian Grand Prix, new engine regulations the following season saw Mercedes emerge as the dominant force in Formula One. Over the next three seasons, Hamilton and Rosberg won 51 of 59 Grands Prix amidst their fierce rivalry, with Hamilton winning the former titles in 2014 and 2015, and Rosberg winning the latter. After Rosberg's retirement, Hamilton twice overturned mid-season point deficits to Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari to claim his fourth and fifth titles in 2017 and 2018. Hamilton won his sixth title in 2019, before breaking several records across his 2020 campaign—including the all-time win record at the Portuguese Grand Prix—to claim his record-equalling seventh. Hamilton became the first driver to surpass 100 race wins and pole positions in 2021, ending runner-up to Max Verstappen amidst a disputed finish. Following winless campaigns in 2022 and 2023, he took his record ninth British Grand Prix victory in 2024, his final season with Mercedes. Hamilton signed for Ferrari in 2025, where he won his first Grand Prix in 2026 and is contracted to remain until at least the end of 2027.

In Their Own Story

The MP4-23 represented a pivotal shift in aerodynamic philosophy. Alongside its rivals during the 2008 season, it marked the end of an era defined by complex aerodynamic appendages on the bodywork, features that were subsequently banned for 2009. During the off-season between 2008 and 2009, McLaren tested a K version of the MP4-23 equipped with KERS and an enlarged front wing; these modifications would eventually appear on the 2009 MP4-24. The car's legacy was cemented when Hamilton secured the Drivers' Championship, making it the last McLaren Formula One car to win that title until Lando Norris ended a 17-year drought with the MCL39 in 2025.

Reader's Guide

Hamilton has been credited with furthering Formula One's global following by appealing to a broader audience outside the sport, in part due to his high-profile lifestyle, amongst his environmental and social activism. He has also become a prominent advocate in support of racial justice and increased diversity in motorsport. Hamilton was listed in the 2020 issue of Time as one of the 100 most influential people globally, was named the most influential black Briton in the Powerlist 2021, and was knighted by Elizabeth II in the 2021 New Year Honours.

Did You Know?

• Hamilton was born on 7 January 1985 in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.
• He began karting at age six and won the British cadet karting championship at age ten.
• Hamilton is the first black driver to compete in Formula One.
• He holds the records for most wins (106), pole positions (104), and podium finishes (207).
• Hamilton was knighted in the 2021 New Year Honours.