168 Facts About Lewis Hamilton

Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton was born on 7 January 1985 and is a British racing driver who competes in Formula One for Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton subsequently signed for McLaren in 2007, becoming the first black driver to compete in Formula One at the Australian Grand Prix.

Lewis 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 four seasons at McLaren, with Lewis Hamilton achieving multiple race wins in each, including his involvement in a four-way title battle in 2010.

Lewis Hamilton signed for Mercedes in 2013 to partner his old karting teammate Nico Rosberg, ending his 15-year association with McLaren.

Lewis Hamilton became the first driver to surpass 100 race wins and pole positions in 2021, finishing runner-up to Max Verstappen amidst a controversial finish.

Lewis Hamilton signed for Ferrari in 2025, and is contracted to remain in the team until at least the end of 2026.

Lewis 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.

Lewis Hamilton has become a prominent advocate in support of racial justice and increased diversity in motorsport.

Lewis Hamilton was listed in the 2020 issue of Time as one of the 100 most influential people globally, and was knighted in the 2021 New Year Honours.

Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton was born on 7 January 1985 in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.

Lewis Hamilton's parents separated when he was two, after which he lived with his mother and older half-sisters, Samantha and Nicola, until he was twelve.

Lewis Hamilton then lived with his father, stepmother Linda, and his half-brother Nicolas, who is a professional racing driver.

Lewis Hamilton's father bought him a radio-controlled car when he was five.

Lewis Hamilton finished second in the national BRCA championship the following year against adult competition.

Lewis Hamilton's father bought him a go-kart for Christmas when he was six and promised to support his racing career as long as he worked hard at school.

Lewis Hamilton continued to be Hamilton's manager until early 2010.

Lewis Hamilton was educated at The John Henry Newman School, a voluntary aided Catholic secondary school in Stevenage.

Lewis Hamilton has said that at the age of five he took up karate to defend himself as a result of bullying at school.

Lewis Hamilton was excluded from school for a period when he was mistakenly identified as having attacked a fellow student who was treated in hospital for his injuries.

Lewis Hamilton began karting in 1993 and quickly began winning races and cadet class championships.

In 1998, Dennis called Lewis Hamilton following his second Super One series and British championship wins, to offer Lewis Hamilton a role in the McLaren-Mercedes Young Driver Programme.

Lewis Hamilton continued his progress in the Intercontinental A, Formula A and Formula Super A ranks, and became European Champion in 2000 with maximum points.

Lewis Hamilton ended the final in seventh, four places behind Schumacher.

Lewis Hamilton began his car racing career in the 2001 British Formula Renault Winter Series, finishing fifth in the standings.

Lewis Hamilton remained with Manor for another year in Formula Renault UK, winning the championship in a dominant fashion ahead of Alex Lloyd, as he registered 10 wins from 15 races.

Lewis Hamilton made his debut with Manor in the 2004 Formula 3 Euro Series, ending the year fifth in the championship.

Lewis Hamilton won the Bahrain F3 Superprix, and twice raced in the Macau F3 Grand Prix.

Williams had come close to signing Lewis Hamilton but did not as BMW, their engine supplier at the time, refused to fund him.

Lewis Hamilton had his first Formula One test with McLaren in late 2004 at Silverstone.

Lewis Hamilton moved to the reigning Euro Series champions, ASM for the 2005 season and dominated the championship, winning 15 of the 20 rounds and bragging 13 pole positions.

Lewis Hamilton won the Marlboro Masters of Formula 3 at Zandvoort.

Lewis Hamilton moved to ASM's sister GP2 team, ART Grand Prix, for the 2006 season.

Lewis Hamilton won the GP2 championship at his first attempt, beating Nelson Piquet Jr.

Lewis Hamilton secured a dominant win at the Nurburgring, amidst a penalty for speeding in the pit lane.

At his home race in Silverstone, Lewis Hamilton overtook two rivals at Becketts, a series of high-speed corners where overtaking is considered to be rare.

Lewis Hamilton won the title in unusual circumstances, inheriting the final point he needed after Giorgio Pantano was stripped of fastest lap in the Monza feature race.

Ultimately, Lewis Hamilton was confirmed as the team's second driver; the announcement was not made public for nearly two months, reportedly to avoid being overlooked by Michael Schumacher's retirement announcement.

Lewis Hamilton finished runner-up in the championship to Raikkonen by one point, classified ahead of teammate Alonso whilst finishing level on points.

Lewis Hamilton won his maiden title at the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix, overtaking Timo Glock for fifth-place at the final corners of the last lap to become the then-youngest World Drivers' Champion, and deny race-winner Massa the title by one point.

Lewis Hamilton became the first British driver to win the World Drivers' Championship since Damon Hill in 1996.

In 2010, Lewis Hamilton was partnered by reigning World Drivers' Champion Jenson Button.

Whilst McLaren struggled to match the outright pace of Red Bull and Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton engaged in a four-way title battle with Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber throughout the season.

Lewis Hamilton entered the final round of the season with an outside chance of winning the title, but finished fourth in the standings as Vettel won his maiden title.

Lewis Hamilton finished fifth in the standings with three race wins; he secured the only non-Red Bull pole position of the season at the Korean Grand Prix, and vowed he would return to form.

In 2012, McLaren emerged as contenders for the title, with Lewis Hamilton remaining in title contention during the first half of the season.

Across those ten races, Lewis Hamilton encountered five retirements, three whilst leading.

Ultimately, Lewis Hamilton finished fourth in the standings, achieving four race wins and a season-highest seven pole positions.

Lewis Hamilton expressed his gratitude, stating he was "forever grateful" for the opportunities and support he had received throughout his career, ending a 15-year association with McLaren.

Mercedes won 16 of the 19 races held that season; Lewis Hamilton secured a career-best 11 victories as he prevailed in a season-long duel for the title against teammate Rosberg.

Lewis Hamilton won six of seven races mid-season, including the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he overtook his teammate to the championship lead for the first time of the season.

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton repeated his run of consecutive wins to clinch his fifth title at the Mexican Grand Prix for a second year running.

Lewis Hamilton led the championship standings for the majority of 2019, whilst benefitting from Mercedes' dominant performances during the first half of the season, he fended off title challenges from teammate Bottas, and remained unchallenged amidst Ferrari's sturdy performances following the summer break.

Lewis Hamilton clinched his sixth title at the United States Grand Prix with two races remaining.

Lewis Hamilton dominated the 2020 season to win his seventh Drivers' title, equalling the record for most titles set by Schumacher, in a season heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lewis Hamilton missed the Sakhir Grand Prix after contracting COVID-19, his first race absence since his debut in 2007.

Regulation changes for the 2021 season saw Red Bull make performance gains on Mercedes, winning five consecutive races and acquiring the championship lead, Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton emerged as title favourites early on in the season.

Lewis Hamilton achieved his 100th pole position and race win at the Spanish and Russian Grands Prix, respectively, becoming the first driver to achieve either feat.

Lewis Hamilton frequently experimented with car setups to aid the W13's development during the opening stages of the season.

Lewis Hamilton set several records across his sixteenth season, including most consecutive seasons with a podium finish, and at least one lap led.

Lewis Hamilton endured another winless campaign amidst Red Bull dominance, securing several podium finishes throughout and finishing third in the standings.

Lewis Hamilton secured his 200th podium finish in Hungary, and another victory at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton stated it had been a "childhood dream" to drive for Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton finished tenth on debut at the Australian Grand Prix after a strategic error.

Lewis Hamilton then took his maiden sprint victory in China, before being disqualified from sixth in the main race for excessive skid block wear.

Lewis Hamilton is regarded as one of the most complete drivers on the grid, excelling across a wide range of areas.

Lewis Hamilton has been described as having an aggressive driving style, with a natural aptitude for identifying the limits of the car.

Lewis Hamilton has been praised for his ability to adapt to variances in the car set-up and changing track conditions; throughout his career, he has typically used less fuel than his teammates as a result of his ability to carry momentum through corners.

Lewis Hamilton has been praised for his consistency, especially in his time at Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton is regarded as one of the best wet-weather drivers in the sport, with some of his best performances occurring in those conditions.

Lewis Hamilton's performance was contrasted with that of his team-mate Bottas, who spun four times and finished a lap down in 14th place.

Lewis Hamilton cited the race as his "stand-out" performance of the season.

Lewis Hamilton has been described as the best driver of his generation, and one of the greatest Formula One drivers including by Chase Carey and Martin Brundle.

Amongst receiving plaudits from experts and fans in and out of the sport, Lewis Hamilton has been a divisive figure in the eyes of the general public, with some journalists arguing his exploits on the track have been underappreciated.

Lewis Hamilton is far broader than purely a driver in [Formula One].

Lewis Hamilton has opinions about the environment, young people, fashion and music.

Lewis Hamilton has been praised for disregarding convention and public opinion and has been described as one of the last superstar drivers.

Between race weekends Lewis Hamilton has on several occasions travelled around the world to explore a variety of interests, such as in 2018 where, after winning the Italian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton flew to Shanghai and New York where he released his own designer clothing line with Tommy Hilfiger, before flying immediately back to, and winning, the next race in Singapore.

Lewis Hamilton was able to win with a dominant car, with a good car like 2010 or 2012, or with bad cars like 2009 and 2011.

Some journalists and pundits consider the possibility of Lewis Hamilton being the greatest Formula One driver of all time.

Lewis Hamilton continued to run a yellow design throughout the early stages of his Formula One career, but in 2014 decided to switch to a white design with three red ribbons on the side.

In 2016, Lewis Hamilton added three stars beneath the ribbons, representing each of his World Drivers' Championships.

Lewis Hamilton selected his helmet design from fan submissions in 2017; the winning design used a white and yellow base colour with red and orange details.

Lewis Hamilton has used several one-off helmet designs across his career.

Lewis Hamilton sported gold helmets for season finales three times in his career.

Lewis Hamilton used similar designs in 2018 and 2019 with five and six stars, respectively.

Lewis Hamilton has used one-off helmet designs to pay tribute to his influential figures.

Lewis Hamilton has continuously brought special helmet designs to Brazilian Grands Prix, in tribute to Ayrton Senna.

In tribute, Lewis Hamilton wore a special helmet design featuring Lauda's classic red-and-white palette with his name printed on the back, honoring the influence Lauda had on his career.

Lewis Hamilton used unique designs for the Japanese Grand Prix in 2022 and 2023, designed by Japanese artists Takashi Murakami and Hajime Sorayama, respectively.

The first tensions surfaced after Lewis Hamilton finished second behind Alonso at Monaco in 2007.

Tensions surfaced again at the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix, where during the final qualifying session Lewis Hamilton went out on track ahead of Alonso and ignored requests from the team to let him through: the two drivers had been taking turns on a race-by-race basis to lead during qualifying, which gave the leading driver an edge due to the fuel load regulations then in place, and Alonso was due to lead in Hungary.

Lewis Hamilton was then delayed in the pits by Alonso and thus unable to set a final lap time before the end of the session.

Alonso was relegated to sixth place on the starting grid thus promoting Lewis Hamilton, who had qualified second, to first, while McLaren was docked Constructors' Championship points.

Lewis Hamilton said he thought the penalty was "quite light if anything" and only regretted the loss of points.

Lewis Hamilton was reported to have sworn at Dennis on the team radio following the incident.

British motorsport journal Autosport claimed that this "[led] Dennis to throw his headphones on the pit wall in disgust: a gesture that was misinterpreted by many to be in reaction to Alonso's pole"; however, McLaren later issued a statement on behalf of Lewis Hamilton that denied the use of any profanity.

When Lewis Hamilton joined Mercedes in 2013, he was paired alongside old karting teammate and friend Nico Rosberg.

Lewis Hamilton has had to fight from the back of the field time and again and yet he hasn't overworked his tires, he hasn't used too much fuel.

Lewis Hamilton has learned how to drive these new cars, and to extract the most from them using the least.

Lewis Hamilton had 32 victories, 55 podium finishes, and qualified ahead of Rosberg 42 times, while Rosberg had 22 victories, 50 podium finishes, and qualified ahead of Lewis Hamilton 36 times.

Lewis Hamilton describes his rivalry with Sebastian Vettel as his favourite, believing their battles helped bring them closer together.

Vettel, who was then driving for Ferrari, enjoyed an early lead on points, but Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton fought back and ultimately won the championships in both seasons.

The first and as of 2025 the only black driver to race in Formula One, Lewis Hamilton has been subject to racist abuse throughout his career.

In 2007, Lewis Hamilton suffered racist abuse from Spanish Formula One supporters at the Chinese Grand Prix.

In 2021, Lewis Hamilton was subjected to online racist abuse following a controversial win at the British Grand Prix.

In 2014, The Guardian journalist Joseph Harker highlighted double-standards in Lewis Hamilton's treatment compared to other British drivers by British newspapers, suggesting that his skin colour has played a factor in a perceived lack of acceptance among the British public.

In 2019, footballer Rio Ferdinand described media scrutiny of Lewis Hamilton as having "racist undertones" and contrasted Lewis Hamilton's treatment to that of fellow British driver Jenson Button.

At the start of his Formula One career, Lewis Hamilton said that he "tried to ignore the fact [he] was the first black guy ever to race in the sport" but later stated that he had since grown to "appreciate the implications", and changed his approach to promote equality within the sport.

In 2021, Lewis Hamilton was named the most influential Black Briton in the 14th Powerlist, for his sporting success and his advocacy in the Black Lives Matter movement.

Lewis Hamilton was one of several figures whose tax arrangements were singled out in a report by the charity Christian Aid in 2008.

That year, Lewis Hamilton received criticism from UK members of parliament for avoiding UK taxes.

Lewis Hamilton is a prominent advocate against racism and for increased diversity in motorsport.

Ross Brawn, managing director for Formula One, stated that the organisation "supports [Lewis Hamilton] totally", describing Lewis Hamilton as "a great ambassador for the sport".

In June 2020, Lewis Hamilton established The Lewis Hamilton Commission with the Royal Academy of Engineering, tasked with finding ways for motorsport to engage more black people with STEM subjects and increase employment in motorsport or other engineering sectors.

In May 2021, Lewis Hamilton became the inaugural recipient of the Laureus Athlete Advocate of the Year Award.

Lewis Hamilton founded Mission 44 in July 2021, a charity designed to help young people from under-represented backgrounds achieve their ambitions in wider society.

In December 2020, Lewis Hamilton confronted human rights in Bahrain and spoke out on allegations of sportswashing.

Lewis Hamilton said he "won't let it go unnoticed" after an 11-year-old boy wrote a letter to Lewis Hamilton asking him to save his father, who was facing the death penalty after making an alleged forced confession.

Lewis Hamilton discussed the case with human rights organisations and legal experts, as well as Bahraini officials.

Lewis Hamilton stated that whilst he has no authority over where he competes, drivers should not "[go] to these countries and just [ignore] what is happening".

Lewis Hamilton is a supporter of LGBT rights, and strongly criticised the Hungarian government before the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix for their anti-LGBT law.

Lewis Hamilton called out LGBT rights in Saudi Arabia before the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, describing them as "terrifying".

Lewis Hamilton has discussed environmental issues and animal rights in press conferences, interviews and documentaries.

Lewis Hamilton has used his social media platforms to gather support for his initiatives, which have included urging China to reclassify dogs as pets instead of livestock, backing charities against wildlife smuggling, and calling for the protection of the Amazon rainforest.

In January 2020, Lewis Hamilton donated US$500,000 to causes relating to bushfires in Australia.

Lewis Hamilton later announced his aim of being carbon neutral by the end of the year, explaining that he had mandated his office and household use recyclable items, sold his private jet, and planned to reduce his use of aircraft.

In 2012, Lewis Hamilton began working with the United Nations Children's Fund.

In March 2012, Lewis Hamilton travelled to the Philippines where he made a short film about Manila's street children.

In October 2012, while in India for the Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton visited a UNICEF-funded newborn care unit and nutrition centre.

In 2014, Lewis Hamilton travelled to Haiti where he made a short film about child malnutrition.

In June 2017, Lewis Hamilton joined the Super Dads initiative, a special UNICEF campaign that highlighted the critical role played by fathers in early childhood development.

Lewis Hamilton is a GOAL 4 Ambassador, focusing on the fight to provide quality education to all children.

Lewis Hamilton has invited fans, young people, and their families to join him at Grand Prix races and social events.

Two years later, Lewis Hamilton became the first ambassador for the Invictus Games Foundation, supporting wounded, injured, and sick servicemen and women.

Lewis Hamilton often donates personal and professional paraphernalia for charity auctions.

Lewis Hamilton frequently attends charitable functions, including the amfAR gala in New York, and has supported projects and charities such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Comic Relief, Rays of Sunshine, Children in Need, and Stevenage's Keech Hospice Care Children's Service, among others.

Lewis Hamilton is involved in charitable work through the creation of his Lewis Hamilton Foundation.

Lewis Hamilton made a guest appearance in Cars 2 in which he voices an anthropomorphic version of himself.

Lewis Hamilton then voiced a voice command assistant in Cars 3.

Lewis Hamilton is credited as an executive producer for the 2018 documentary film The Game Changers.

Lewis Hamilton has revealed he was offered a role as a fighter pilot in the film Top Gun: Maverick by Tom Cruise but was forced to decline due to his Formula One commitments.

Lewis Hamilton was one of the executive producers on Motorcycle Mary, a short documentary film about Mary McGee.

In October 2022, Lewis Hamilton founded the production company, Dawn Apollo Films.

Lewis Hamilton served as the "maestro" of the Gran Turismo series since Gran Turismo Sport in 2017, and his Time Trial Challenge DLC pack was released for this game on 28 November 2019.

In 2018, Hamilton launched the clothing line TOMMYXLEWIS during New York Fashion Week with American fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger alongside models Winnie Harlow and Hailey Baldwin.

Lewis Hamilton will be one of the co-chairs of the 2025 Met Gala in Manhattan.

In September 2020, Lewis Hamilton launched Team X44 to compete in the all-electric SUV off-road racing series Extreme E from the 2021 season on.

Lewis Hamilton used the number 44 in karts, as his father's Vauxhall Cavalier had the number plate "F44" when he started racing; it was his father's idea to use it.

New Formula One driver number regulations brought in for the 2014 season allowed drivers to pick a unique car number to use for the remainder of their careers, with Lewis Hamilton electing to compete under his old karting number 44.

Lewis Hamilton is a fan of art and has said that one of his favourite artists is Andy Warhol.

From November 2007 to February 2015, Lewis Hamilton was in an on-and-off relationship with Nicole Scherzinger, the lead singer of the American girl group Pussycat Dolls.

Lewis Hamilton is a Catholic; he says that he prays regularly and is guided by his faith.

Lewis Hamilton believes that he has the "hand of God" resting over him when racing in Formula One.

Lewis Hamilton revealed in March 2022 that he was in the process of legally changing his name to include his mother's maiden name, Larbalestier, as a middle name.

Lewis Hamilton was made an honorary citizen of Brazil on 9 June 2022 after a proposal made by politician Andre Figueiredo was passed in the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies.

Two days before the 2010 Australian Grand Prix, Victoria Police witnessed Lewis Hamilton "deliberately losing traction" in his silver Mercedes-AMG C63, and impounded the car for 48 hours.

Lewis Hamilton immediately released a statement of apology for "driving in an over-exuberant manner".

Lewis Hamilton moved to Luins, Vaud, Switzerland, in 2007, citing privacy as his main reason for leaving the UK.

Lewis Hamilton later said on the television show Parkinson that taxation was a factor in his decision.

Lewis Hamilton won the Laureus Breakthrough of the Year Award in 2008, and shared the Sportsman of the Year Award with Lionel Messi in 2020.

Lewis Hamilton won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, PAP European Sportsperson of the Year, Best Driver ESPY Award, L'Equipe Champion of Champions, and Gazzetta World Sportsman of the Year, among others.

Lewis Hamilton has won a record 19 Autosport Awards, including eight International Racing Driver Awards.

Lewis Hamilton was inducted into the FIA Hall of Fame in 2017, and shared the honorary FIA President Award in 2020 with Michael Schumacher.

Lewis Hamilton was announced to be one of the co-chairs of the 2025 Met Gala in Manhattan.

Lewis Hamilton debuted at the 2007 Australian Grand Prix, becoming the first black driver to compete in Formula One.

Lewis Hamilton holds over 100 records in Formula One, including the most race wins, pole positions, podium finishes, and championship points.

Lewis Hamilton won his seventh title in 2020, tying the all-time record set by Michael Schumacher.