Lewis Hamilton Racer Date of Birth: 07.09.1985 Country: Great Britain

Biography of Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton was born on September 7, 1985, in London. At the age of two, his parents divorced, and he was raised by his mother. When he turned twelve, he moved to live with his father in Hertfordshire. Hamilton credits his father for his success as a race car driver. His father, Anthony Hamilton, had to work multiple jobs to support his son's karting career.

At the age of nine, Lewis Hamilton started winning karting races, and at ten, he confidently told Ron Dennis, the boss of McLaren team, that someday he would drive their Formula 1 car. Dennis wrote in Hamilton's notebook, "Call me in nine years, and maybe we'll figure something out." True to his word, they met in June 1998, and Hamilton secured a place in the McLaren team, becoming the youngest driver in its history.

In 2001, Hamilton had the opportunity to compete in karting against Michael Schumacher. Hamilton finished seventh, while Schumacher finished third. Schumacher praised Hamilton, saying, "Lewis is an excellent driver, despite being only 16. I am confident that he will soon participate in Formula 1 races."

Hamilton made his Formula 1 debut in the 2007 season as Fernando Alonso's teammate. However, after a few races, Hamilton emerged as the championship leader, surpassing Alonso's achievements. Their relationship became tense, with incidents such as Hamilton refusing to let Alonso pass him during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Alonso eventually terminated his contract with McLaren, and Hamilton became the team's leading driver.

In the following season, Hamilton became the youngest Formula 1 champion, narrowly defeating Ferrari's Felipe Massa by one point. He also became the first champion of African descent in Formula 1 history.

Currently, Lewis Hamilton races for the McLaren team alongside Heikki Kovalainen. His five-year contract with the team expires in 2012. Hamilton holds numerous records in Formula 1, including the longest podium streak in a single season, with nine consecutive podium finishes.