Lewis Hamilton - biography, statistics, age, weight, height

Biography of Lewis Hamilton

Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton is a British Formula 1 driver, currently racing for Ferrari. He is a seven-time world champion (a record shared with Michael Schumacher) and holds F1 records for wins (105), pole positions (104), and podiums (202).

Hamilton was born and raised in Stevenage. He started karting at the age of six and quickly began winning national tournaments. In 1998, he was noticed by Ron Dennis and included in the McLaren-Mercedes Young Driver Programme. By 2000, Hamilton had won the Karting World Cup and the European Championship, after which he began climbing the single-seater ladder.

In junior series, he successively achieved key milestones: the Formula 3 Euro Series title, then the GP2 Championship, which led to his Formula 1 debut.

In 2007, Hamilton debuted in F1 with McLaren, becoming the first black driver in the championship’s history. His first season was phenomenal: four wins, multiple records, and a final second place in the championship—just one point behind Kimi Räikkönen, tied on points with teammate Fernando Alonso.

In 2008, Hamilton won his first title—the decisive overtake on the last lap of the final race made him, at that time, the youngest world champion in history. In the following years, McLaren regularly won races, but the overall title fight was dominated by the Red Bull-Renault pairing; Hamilton remained among the leaders and participated in the famous four-way title battle of 2010.

Mercedes (2013-2024): era of dominance and records

Joining Mercedes in 2013 was one of the most talked-about moves in his career—Hamilton ended his 15-year association with McLaren and reunited with old karting rival Nico Rosberg. With the introduction of the new engine regulations in 2014, Mercedes became the dominant force, and the Hamilton-Rosberg rivalry earned the nickname Silver War. Hamilton won titles in 2014 and 2015, Rosberg in 2016, after which he immediately retired.

Hamilton then secured four consecutive championships:

• In 2017 and 2018, he came back from mid-season deficits to beat Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari;
• In 2019, he won his sixth title;
• In 2020, he secured his seventh, equaling Schumacher’s record and breaking the record for most wins during the season.

The 2021 season was one of the most dramatic: Hamilton surpassed 100 wins and poles for the first time but finished second after the controversial Abu Dhabi finale. This was followed by two winless seasons in 2022 and 2023, while in 2024 he returned to victory, winning a record ninth British Grand Prix, closing his Mercedes era.

Ferrari (since 2025): a new challenge

In 2025, Hamilton joined Ferrari, calling it a childhood dream. His contract is valid at least until the end of 2026. His debut season with the Scuderia was challenging: there were highlights (including his first Sprint race win), but overall the campaign was uneven. He finished sixth in the championship and reportedly became actively involved in team processes, suggesting changes and participating in car development discussions with an eye on the 2026 regulations.

Today, Hamilton remains one of motorsport’s leading figures—a driver who not only set records for an era but continues to seek new peaks in a new team.

Personal life of Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton was born on January 7, 1985, in Stevenage. His father, Anthony Hamilton, has Afro-Grenadian roots, and his mother, Carmen Larbalestier, is British from Birmingham. His parents separated when Lewis was two. Until age 12, he lived with his mother and half-sisters Samantha and Nicola, later moving to his father, stepmother Linda, and half-brother Nicholas, who also became a professional driver.

His childhood was challenging. At school, Hamilton faced bullying and racial insults. At age five, he began karate to learn self-defense. He attended the Catholic John Henry Newman School and was raised in the Catholic tradition; Hamilton has repeatedly stated that faith helps him maintain inner balance.

Besides motorsport, in his youth he played football (supports Arsenal) and cricket. He admitted that if F1 hadn’t worked out, he would have pursued a career in one of these sports.

From 2007 to 2015, Hamilton was in a relationship with singer Nicole Scherzinger. Later, he rarely commented publicly on his personal life.

Since 2017, Lewis has followed a vegan lifestyle, citing environmental, animal welfare, and health reasons. In 2018, PETA named him “Person of the Year” for his advocacy of animal rights.

Hamilton has openly discussed his battle with depression. He reported that early symptoms appeared during adolescence due to pressure, competition, and school issues, and that he faced difficult emotional periods as an adult as well.

He has lived in Switzerland, Monaco, and owned property in New York and the US. In 2022, he received honorary Brazilian citizenship—a symbolic gesture in a country where Ayrton Senna remains iconic, and Hamilton is seen as a spiritual heir of that era.

Dogs have held a special place in his life. His bulldog Rosco was a social media star and accompanied Lewis to many championship events. In 2025, Hamilton announced Rosco’s death, a heavy personal blow for him.

Despite his global superstar status, Hamilton often emphasizes in personal interviews a simple truth: everything he has started with family and the sacrifices of his father, who worked multiple jobs to pay for his karting. He calls this his true motivation.

Interesting facts about Lewis Hamilton

• He was knighted during his career. In 2021, Hamilton was made a Knight in the UK New Year Honours list. He became one of the few active athletes to receive the title “Sir” before retiring.
• He is the first driver in history with 100+ wins and poles. Such numbers seemed fantastical before him. Hamilton was the first to surpass both 100 wins and 100 pole positions, doing so in an era of maximum competition and long calendars.
• He didn’t switch to number 1 even as champion. After his 2014-2020 titles, he had the right to race under number 1 but declined, keeping 44—the same number he used in karting (it was his father’s car number).
• He is one of the most successful athletes off the track. Hamilton regularly appears on lists of the wealthiest British athletes. His net worth is estimated in the hundreds of millions of pounds, and his Mercedes contracts at peak years made him the highest-paid F1 driver in history.
• He founded his own production company. Dawn Apollo Films produces film and TV projects. Among its works is the F1 movie with Brad Pitt, where Hamilton acted as producer and racing authenticity consultant.
• He invests in sports beyond racing. Hamilton became co-owner of the NFL club Denver Broncos and founded his own Team X44 for the Extreme E electric off-road racing series.
• He is an art collector. One of his favorite artists is Andy Warhol. Hamilton has said that art helps him switch off from racing pressure.
• He won a race by over a minute in an era of close competition. At the 2008 British Grand Prix in heavy rain, he finished over a minute ahead of second place—a rare gap for modern F1.
• He is the only driver to have won at least one race in 15 consecutive seasons. Even when his car wasn’t the best, Hamilton found a way to win at least one race, showing versatility and adaptability.
• In 2020, he was listed in Time 100. Time magazine included him among the 100 most influential people in the world—a rare case for an active racer.
• An asteroid was named after him. In 2025, one asteroid was named 508440 Lewishamilton—a literal cosmic recognition.
• He is the most awarded driver in Autosport Awards history. 19 awards from one of the world’s main motorsport publications—more than anyone else.
• He set the record for wins at a single Grand Prix. Nine-time British Grand Prix winner—no one in F1 history has won a single event that many times.
• He is the only driver to win championships in four different regulation eras. Atmospheric V8s, turbo-hybrids, different car generations—Hamilton adapted to all.
• He is one of the few drivers whose name became a cultural phenomenon. Hamilton has long transcended motorsport: fashion, film, activism, business—he became a global brand, not just a driver.

Lewis Hamilton stats

Scandals with Lewis Hamilton

Throughout his career, Lewis Hamilton has been at the center of several scandals, both on and off the track. In 2007, his collision with McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso caused tension within the team and media criticism.

Over the years, Hamilton has also faced criticism for social media comments and his active stance on political and environmental issues, which sometimes caused mixed reactions from fans and experts. Additionally, his personal life and public antics have occasionally been tabloid fodder, creating controversies related to parties, brands, and sponsors.

Despite this, Hamilton maintains a high level of professionalism on track, helping minimize the impact of such incidents on his sporting career.