Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton is a British racing driver born on January 7, 1985, in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England. He holds seven Formula 1 World Championship titles and the all-time record for Grand Prix victories.
As the first Black driver to compete in Formula 1, he transformed the sport both on and off the track.
Who is Lewis Hamilton?
Lewis Hamilton is a seven-time Formula 1 World Champion and the most decorated driver in the sport’s history. His record of 106 Grand Prix victories places him ahead of every other driver who has competed at the highest level of motorsport.
He began racing go-karts at age eight and rose through every level of junior motorsport before making his Formula 1 debut in 2007. By 2008, he had claimed his first world title, becoming the first Black driver to win the F1 Drivers’ Championship.
Hamilton spent twelve seasons with Mercedes, winning six of his seven titles with the German team. In 2025, he made one of the most high-profile moves in motorsport history, joining the iconic Scuderia Ferrari team.
Beyond racing, he received a knighthood in December 2021 from Prince Charles at Windsor Castle, an honor recognising both his sporting achievements and his work promoting diversity. He is only the fourth Formula 1 driver to receive the title, following Sir Jack Brabham, Sir Stirling Moss, and Sir Jackie Stewart.
His off-track influence spans fashion, film production, philanthropy, and environmental activism. Through his Mission 44 foundation, he has invested over £10 million into programs supporting young people across the UK, US, and Brazil.
Early Life of Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton was born on January 7, 1985, in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England. His father, Anthony Hamilton, is of Grenadian-British heritage, and his mother, Carmen Larbalestier, is white British.
His parents divorced in 1987, and young Lewis split time between both parents afterward.
Hamilton’s father, Anthony, worked multiple jobs simultaneously to fund his son’s early racing ambitions. At the age of eight, Anthony gifted Lewis a second-hand go-kart that cost roughly one month of the family’s income.
Anthony became his son’s manager and mentor throughout his early career.
Growing up, Hamilton experienced racial bullying in school, including taunts from other children. He later told The Guardian that he kept those experiences to himself as a child because he did not feel anyone understood what he was going through. To channel those feelings, he took up boxing and karate.
He found an escape in watching Formula 1 races with his father on weekends. By age 10, he won the British Kart Championship in the cadet class, becoming the youngest driver to claim that title at the time.
At a karting prize-giving dinner when he was 10 years old, Hamilton walked up to McLaren’s team principal Ron Dennis and told him he wanted to race for McLaren one day.
Dennis wrote in his notebook: “Call me in nine years.” Just three years later, Dennis called the Hamilton household and offered to support Lewis’s racing career financially.
Lewis Hamilton Age
Lewis Hamilton is 41 years old as of 2026, born on January 7, 1985. He is a Capricorn, a sign associated with discipline and long-term ambition, traits that have defined his entire career.
At 41, he claimed his 106th Formula 1 victory at the 2026 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, becoming the oldest race winner in the modern era of the sport.
Lewis Hamilton Ethnicity and Nationality
Hamilton is British by nationality, born and raised in Stevenage, England. His ethnic background is mixed: his father is of Grenadian-Black heritage and his mother is white British.
Hamilton publicly identifies as Black and has spoken extensively about his experiences with racism throughout his life and career, using his platform to advocate for racial equality in motorsport and beyond.
Lewis Hamilton Height and Weight
Hamilton stands at 5 feet 8.5 inches tall, which is approximately 1.74 meters. His weight is reported at around 152 pounds (69 kilograms), which is common for a Formula 1 driver who maintains peak fitness.
He carries a lean, athletic build that supports the physical demands of enduring high g-forces during races throughout a season.
Lewis Hamilton Education
Hamilton completed his secondary education at The John Henry Newman School, a voluntary-aided Catholic secondary school in Stevenage. He later attended the Cambridge Arts and Sciences college for further education.
His academic progress was a condition of the McLaren-Mercedes Young Driver Support Programme, which Ron Dennis offered on the proviso that Hamilton continued to work hard at school.
McLaren signed Hamilton to their Young Driver Support Programme in 1998, making him the youngest driver ever contracted by a Formula 1 team at just 13 years old.
Lewis Hamilton Career
Early Career and Junior Formulas
Hamilton began karting in 1993 at the age of eight. By 10, he held the British Kart Championship. In the years that followed, he accumulated a string of junior titles that confirmed his exceptional talent.
In 2001, he entered the British Formula Renault Championship and finished fifth overall. He returned in 2002 and won the Formula Renault UK Championship, his first major single-seater title. That same year, he also competed in the Formula Renault Eurocup.
Hamilton won the Formula 3 Euro Series championship in 2005, driving for ASM. The following year, in 2006, he claimed the GP2 Series championship, the final feeder series before Formula 1. Those back-to-back title wins made his Formula 1 promotion inevitable.
His success in the GP2 title coincided with a vacancy at McLaren following departures in their senior lineup. McLaren handed him his Formula 1 debut for the 2007 season.
Breakthrough and McLaren Years
Hamilton made his Formula 1 debut at the 2007 Australian Grand Prix. He finished third in that opening race and became the first rookie in F1 history to score a podium in his debut. Just six races later, he won the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix to become one of the youngest race winners in the sport’s history.
That 2007 season was extraordinary for a rookie. He led the championship for much of the year and narrowly missed the title, finishing behind Kimi Raikkonen by a single point in a dramatic final race.
In 2008, Hamilton sealed his first world title at the Brazilian Grand Prix in the final corner of the final lap. That win made him the youngest Formula 1 World Champion in history at the time, at just 23 years old.
The Mercedes Dominance
Hamilton joined the Mercedes-AMG Petronas team in 2013, a move many questioned at the time. Within two years, Mercedes became the most dominant team in Formula 1 history, and Hamilton was at the wheel for nearly all of it.
He won consecutive titles in 2014 and 2015, then added further championships in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. His sixth title in 2019 equalled Michael Schumacher’s previous record. His seventh, claimed in Turkey in 2020, put him level with Schumacher at the top of the all-time list.
During the 2020 season, Hamilton wore anti-racism messages on his race suit and took a knee on the grid before races in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. That public activism drew both praise and criticism, but he did not waver.
In 2021, he missed what would have been a record eighth title in the most controversial final lap in Formula 1 history. Max Verstappen overtook him at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix under disputed race director decisions, denying Hamilton the championship by zero points.
The Ferrari Chapter and Recent Work
Hamilton announced in February 2024 that he would leave Mercedes to join Scuderia Ferrari for the 2025 season. His official first laps in a Ferrari came on January 22, 2025, at the Fiorano Circuit in Italy.
The 2025 season proved difficult. Ferrari’s SF-25 car lacked the consistency required to compete at the front, and Hamilton finished the season sixth in the championship without a single Grand Prix podium. It marked the first time in his F1 career he failed to reach the podium in any race during a season.
The 2026 season brought sweeping new technical regulations across the entire grid. Hamilton adapted quickly to the overhauled SF-26 car and finally delivered his breakthrough Ferrari win at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in June 2026.
Using a three-stop strategy and dominant late-race pace, he crossed the line ahead of George Russell to claim his 106th career victory. At 41 years and 158 days old, he became the oldest race winner in the modern era of Formula 1 and the first driver to win across 17 different seasons.
Lewis Hamilton Awards and Recognition
Hamilton’s list of formal honours spans over two decades. He received an MBE in 2009 after winning his first world title. In December 2021, Prince Charles awarded him a knighthood at Windsor Castle for services to motorsport, making him Sir Lewis Hamilton. He is the fourth Formula 1 driver to receive the honour and the first to receive it while still actively competing.
His seven World Championship titles match Michael Schumacher’s record. He holds the all-time records for race victories (106), pole positions (104), and podium finishes. He won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award multiple times and has appeared on the Time 100 list of the world’s most influential people.
Hamilton received multiple Laureus World Sports Awards throughout his career, recognising both his sporting achievement and broader social influence.
Lewis Hamilton Brand Endorsements
Hamilton holds long-running sponsorship deals with major global brands. His partnerships include Monster Energy, Sony, and Puma, which collectively contribute tens of millions of dollars to his annual income each year.
He co-founded the plant-based restaurant chain Neat Burger and holds investments through his Lewis Hamilton Ventures portfolio, which spans technology, fashion, and film. His lifestyle brand +44 has expanded through collaborations and is worn publicly by those in his circle.
Hamilton co-chaired the 2025 Met Gala, cementing his presence as a fashion and cultural figure beyond motorsport. He also has a film production company that greenlit a sequel to an existing project in 2025.
Lewis Hamilton Girlfriend
Lewis Hamilton is currently in a relationship with Kim Kardashian, the American media personality and businesswoman. The two were first linked publicly in early 2026 after being seen together on a trip to Europe, including a weekend stay at a luxury hotel in the Cotswolds, England.
They made their first confirmed joint public appearance at the 2026 Super Bowl in February 2026. Since then, Hamilton posted photos of the two together on Instagram, with Kardashian appearing in the images wearing his +44 brand clothing.
Kim Kardashian made her first Grand Prix paddock appearance alongside Hamilton at the Monaco Grand Prix in June 2026.
Before this relationship, Hamilton dated Nicole Scherzinger, the lead singer of The Pussycat Dolls, from 2007 to 2015. The two had a widely covered on-and-off relationship spanning nearly eight years.
Lewis Hamilton Net Worth
Lewis Hamilton’s estimated net worth is $550 million as of 2026, placing him among the wealthiest athletes in global sport. The Sunday Times Rich List 2026 listed his fortune at £435 million, ranking him among the richest people in Britain.
His Ferrari contract, reported at a base salary of $60 to $70 million per year, makes him the highest-paid driver in Ferrari’s history. In 2025, Sportico confirmed Hamilton became the first Formula 1 driver to earn $100 million in a single calendar year, combining race salary and endorsements.
Brand deals with companies including Monster Energy, Sony, and Puma add an estimated $30 million annually.
Beyond racing, his real estate portfolio includes a property in Monaco, where he resides, and he purchased a home for $43.9 million in 2017.
His business ventures, including Neat Burger, Lewis Hamilton Ventures, and the +44 lifestyle brand, add further value to his financial portfolio. He also holds a minority stake in the Denver Broncos NFL franchise.
Lewis Hamilton Social Media
Hamilton is active across major social media platforms. His official Instagram account is @lewishamilton, where he shares race updates, personal content, and posts related to his Mission 44 foundation and fashion interests.
He also maintains an active presence on X (formerly Twitter) under @LewisHamilton, where he has historically used his platform to speak out on social issues.
His personal website is available at lewishamilton.com.
The Bottom Line
Lewis Hamilton claimed his 106th Formula 1 victory at the 2026 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, becoming the oldest race winner in the sport’s modern era at 41 years old. In doing so, he extended his all-time records for race wins, pole positions, and winning seasons.
Born to a mixed-heritage family in Stevenage and the first Black driver in Formula 1 history, Hamilton used his platform to advocate for racial equality throughout his career. He received a knighthood in December 2021 from Prince Charles at Windsor Castle for services to motorsport.
In 2026, Hamilton continues racing for Ferrari while building Mission 44, which has now reached more than 550,000 young people globally.
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