Lewis Hamilton: Seven-Time Champion and the Record Books

Lewis Hamilton is a British driver who has won seven Formula One World Drivers' Championships, a total he shares with Michael Schumacher. He holds the all-time records for race wins (106), pole positions (104) and podium finishes (208). He joined Ferrari in 2025 and was still competing there in 2026.

His career combines a record-breaking run at McLaren and Mercedes with a long list of achievements away from the track. Few drivers have shaped the sport's record books so thoroughly, and his influence has extended well beyond motor racing.

Who is Lewis Hamilton and where did his career start?

Hamilton was born on 7 January 1985 in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. His father, Anthony Hamilton, managed his early career and worked several jobs to pay for it. Hamilton began karting in 1993, and at ten he became the youngest driver to win the British cadet karting championship.

Karting was the foundation of everything that followed. He won the Karting World Cup and European Championship in 2000, and the McLaren-Mercedes Young Driver Programme offered him a place in 1998, when he was still a teenager.

Seven world titles, a record-breaking debut season and a career that reshaped the sport's record books.

How did Hamilton rise through the junior formulae?

Hamilton moved into car racing with Manor Motorsport. In 2002 he finished third overall in Formula Renault UK, and the following season he won the title with 10 wins from 15 races. His 2004 Formula 3 Euro Series debut ended fifth in the championship.

He joined ASM for 2005 and dominated the Formula 3 Euro Series, winning 15 of the 20 rounds. In 2006 he moved into GP2 with ART Grand Prix and won the championship at his first attempt, ahead of Nelson Piquet Jr. That result made him the obvious choice for a Formula One seat.

How did Hamilton reach Formula One with McLaren?

Hamilton became the first black driver to race in Formula One when he made his debut at the Australian Grand Prix in 2007. Partnered with the two-time champion Fernando Alonso, he finished third on debut and went on to set a series of records in his first season.

That first season saw four wins, which equalled the best debut-season tally, and 109 points, then a record for a debut season. He finished as runner-up to Kimi Raikkonen by one point, and the tensions with Alonso at McLaren eventually led to their contract ending by mutual consent.

How did Hamilton win his first title in 2008?

Hamilton won the 2008 World Drivers' Championship by a single point over Felipe Massa, finishing ahead of Timo Glock on the final lap of the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix. He became the then-youngest World Drivers' Champion and the first British champion since Damon Hill in 1996.

The title season also produced one of the sport's most admired drives. At the rain-affected British Grand Prix he won by over a minute from Nick Heidfeld, a margin widely regarded as one of the greatest wet-weather performances in the sport's history.

What were the McLaren years like from 2009 to 2012?

The years after the title were harder. The 2009 regulation changes left McLaren struggling, and Hamilton's chances of defending his title faded. Major upgrades at the German Grand Prix improved the car considerably, and he went on to secure two race victories and three more podiums from that point.

In 2010 he fought a four-way title battle with Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. He won the Canadian Grand Prix from pole, but a run of collisions and mechanical failures cost him the title, and he finished fourth in the standings. In 2011 he finished fifth with three race wins.

The 2012 season again began well, but a series of mechanical failures in the second half left him fourth overall with four race wins and a season-high seven pole positions. Prior to the end of that year, he announced that he would join Mercedes for 2013.

Why did Hamilton move to Mercedes?

Hamilton left McLaren after 15 years to join Mercedes for 2013, reuniting with his childhood karting teammate Nico Rosberg. The deal was reportedly worth more than 60 million pounds, and it was made to replace the retiring Schumacher. Mercedes had little recent success, so the move was seen as a gamble.

His first season at Mercedes ended fourth overall, and his first win for the team came at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The following season, new engine rules made Mercedes the dominant team, and that dominance drove the next phase of his career.

What did Mercedes win with Hamilton from 2014 to 2020?

In 2014 Hamilton secured 11 victories and won the title against Rosberg, clinching it at Abu Dhabi after a run of five straight wins. He defended the crown in 2015 with 10 wins, and he won the title at the United States Grand Prix with three races to spare.

The rivalry with Rosberg was fierce. In 2016 Rosberg took the title by five points, and Hamilton, despite winning six of seven races in mid-season, finished runner-up. Hamilton broke the record for the most wins in a season without the title, with 10 victories.

After Rosberg retired, Hamilton won the 2017 title with 11 pole positions and nine race victories, a fourth crown that came at the Mexican Grand Prix. In 2018 he won his fifth title in a closely fought battle with Sebastian Vettel, setting a record 408 points for a season. In 2019 he claimed a sixth title with 413 points and 11 race wins.

The 2020 season was shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Hamilton secured 10 pole positions and 11 race victories, including his 92nd career win at the Portuguese Grand Prix, which broke the all-time win record. He clinched his seventh title at the Turkish Grand Prix with three rounds to spare, finishing 124 points ahead of Valtteri Bottas.

What happened in the 2021 title battle with Verstappen?

Hamilton and Max Verstappen fought for the title throughout 2021, and they finished 1-2 at 14 of 22 Grands Prix. Hamilton reached his 100th pole position and race win at the Spanish and Russian Grands Prix, becoming the first driver to achieve either feat.

He won a hat-trick of races in the penultimate rounds and erased a 19-point deficit to enter the Abu Dhabi finale level on points. In that race, having led most of the distance, he lost the championship to a last-lap overtake by Verstappen after a late safety car. The race director, Michael Masi, was subsequently removed from his role, and the finish remains one of the most debated in the sport.

How did Hamilton's Mercedes career end?

The 2022 season was the first in his Formula One career without a race win or a pole position. The W13 suffered from porpoising, and Hamilton described it as undrivable. He finished sixth overall, 35 points behind teammate George Russell.

In 2023 he finished third overall and took a record ninth pole at the Hungarian Grand Prix. In 2024 he triggered an exit clause, and that season he delivered his ninth British Grand Prix victory, ending a 31-month winless drought. He became the first driver to win beyond his 300th start, but he finished seventh overall, 22 points behind Russell.

What was Hamilton's first season at Ferrari like?

Hamilton signed for Ferrari in 2025 on a contract reported at 41 million pounds per year, and he stayed under contract until at least the end of 2027. He had a sprint victory in China before being disqualified from the main race for a technical infringement.

The season ended sixth overall, 86 points behind teammate Charles Leclerc, and it was the first in his career without a podium. He returned to form in 2026, with his first Ferrari podium at the Chinese Grand Prix and his maiden Ferrari race win at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.

What is Hamilton's driving style?

Many observers rank him among the most complete drivers on the grid. He has an aggressive style and a natural aptitude for finding the limits of a car. Mark Hughes praised his braking and his ability to modulate pressure so that grip was not wasted.

He is also known for consistency. From 2017 to 2018 he finished 33 consecutive races in point-scoring positions, and he has typically used less fuel than his teammates by carrying momentum through corners.

He is among the best wet-weather drivers in the sport. From the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix to the 2019 German Grand Prix he remained unbeaten in races affected by wet weather, and his 2020 Turkish Grand Prix drive was widely acclaimed.

How do Hamilton's rivalries compare?

The rivalry with Alonso at McLaren was tense. After Alonso and McLaren ended their contract, the two later developed mutual respect. Teammates Hamilton and Alonso won eight of 17 races in their time together.

With Rosberg, Hamilton won 54 of 78 races over four seasons. Hamilton had 32 victories to Rosberg's 22 in that period, and two titles to his one. His battles with Vettel in 2017 and 2018 are the ones he describes as his favourite, because they brought the two drivers closer through mutual respect.

What is Hamilton's legacy beyond racing?

Hamilton has become a prominent advocate for racial justice and greater diversity in motorsport. He was knighted in the 2021 New Year Honours for services to motorsport, and in 2020 he was listed among Time magazine's 100 most influential people. The Powerlist named him the most influential Black Briton in 2021.

He has been the subject of racist abuse throughout his career, and in 2020 he took the knee before every Grand Prix he entered. In June 2020 he established The Hamilton Commission with the Royal Academy of Engineering, and in July 2021 he founded the Mission 44 charity, pledging 20 million pounds to it.

In May 2021 he became the first recipient of the Laureus Athlete Advocate of the Year Award. He is also the founder of Almave, a premium non-alcoholic agave spirit brand.