Career Summary:

Lewis Hamilton

  • January 07, 1985
  • 39
  • United Kingdom
  • Fia Formula One World Championship
  • 357
  • Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team
  • 120
  • 212
  • 112
  • 79
  • 1
  • 1
  • 33.61%
  • 59.38%

As a six-time champion, Lewis Hamilton is the most successful British driver in the history of Formula 1. His first title came in 2008 with McLaren. He joined Mercedes in 2013 and became the champion again in 2014. Four more titles followed in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Hamilton also holds many records in the competition: most consecutive podium finishes from debut (9), most wins in debut season (4), most pole positions in debut season (6), most points in debut season (109) and was youngest driver to lead the World Championship. The most recent record is for the biggest number of pole positions in a history of Formula One.

Lewis Hamilton world grand prix race 2016 abu dhabi british year 2017 win drivers

Lewis Hamilton celebrated F1 World Championship title six times

Promising career for young Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton was born in January 1985 in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, and from an early age he knew he would be a racing driver.

Specifically, there is an anecdote according to which Hamilton approached McLaren boss Ron Dennis as a ten years old boy, telling him that he want to race for him one day. Just three years later Hamilton was a part of McLaren-Mercedes development program.

Lewis Hamilton McLaren 2009 world grand prix race 2016 abu dhabi british year 2017 win

Lewis Hamilton driving McLaren at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2009

Formula Renault, Formula 3 and GP2 Series champion

Hamilton's career rise was fast. He won the titles in the British Formula Renault, Formula Three Euroseries and GP2, and in 2007 finally made his debut in Formula 1.

The contract he had with the McLaren driver development program made him the youngest ever driver to secure a place in Formula 1.

Early success in Formula 1

Hamilton immediately drew attention in his debut season in Formula 1 by winning second place in the overall standings with only one point less than champion Kimi Raikkonen. In the following year he managed to climb to the throne with five wins and 10 podium places.

After a few years of controversy with team principal Ron Dennis, he left McLaren and in 2013 he signed multiyear contract with Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton Mercedes Formula 2016 grand prix 2017 drivers win

Lewis Hamilton celebrating second title with Mercedes

Hamilton and Mercedes dominated in F1

After a few years of ups and downs, Hamilton made a new step forward in his career. In the first season with Mercedes he was fourth in overall standings, but in 2014 he won his second Championship title after a big battle with his teammate Nico Rosberg. Lewis Hamilton defended the title in 2015 easily, winning 10 races, one less than in the previous season, and again beating Nico Rosberg, this time by a margin of 59 points.

However, he couldn't win the title for the third in a row. After very tight battle with his teammate, Lewis had to hand the crown to Rosberg, losing by only five points.

Three consecutive championship titles from 2017 to 2019

The fourth title came in 2017, two races before the end of the season. During the season, Lewis broke Michael Schumacher's record of most pole positions. In 2018, the intense championship fight against Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel was over two rounds before the end of the season, at the Mexican Grand Prix, where Hamilton secured enough points to celebrate his fifth title. He ended a season with eleven wins, equaling the record from 2014.

One more year of Hamilton's domination followed in 2019 when he secured the title with two rounds before the end, at the US Grand Prix. His closect rival was his teammate Valtteri Bottas. During the season, Hamilton won eleven races, more than all other drivers together, reaching the number of 84 career wins.

Video - Lewis Hamilton onboard Singapore GP 2015 pole lap

In the center of the tabloids attention

Hamilton's private life also attracts much publicity. He has been the target of criticism in his homeland when moved to Switzerland in 2007 and few years later in Monaco. He is often the target of tabloids which were interested in his turbulent relationship with famous singer Nicole Scherzinger or his accident before the Brazilian Grand Prix when he crashed his Pagani Zonda in Monaco.

Lewis Hamilton Nicole Scherzinger 2016 grand prix 2017

Lewis Hamilton and Nicole Scherzinger

Hamilton was awarded an MBE by the Queen in the 2009 New Year Honours and was nominated for the Laureus award a couple of times.

Photo: hellomagazine.com theguardian.co.uk f1fanatic.co.uk ibtimes.co.uk telegraph.co.uk