Sir Lewis Hamilton (Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton, born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver who competes in Formula 1 for Ferrari. He is a seven-time world champion, a record he shares with Michael Schumacher, and he has won 106 Grand Prix. He was knighted in 2021 for services to motorsport. This biography follows his life and career up to November 2026.
Lewis Hamilton at a Glance
| Full name | Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton |
| Born | 7 January 1985, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England |
| Age | 41 (as of November 2026) |
| Profession | Formula 1 driver |
| Team | Scuderia Ferrari (since 2025) |
| World championships | Seven: 2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 |
| Grand Prix wins | 106 (as of June 2026) |
| Honours | Knight Bachelor (invested 15 December 2021) |
| Charity | Mission 44 (launched 2021) |
Early Life and Karting
Hamilton was born in Stevenage to Carmen Larbalestier and Anthony Hamilton, whose family came from Grenada, and Anthony managed his son's early career until 2010. He began karting at the age of six and joined the McLaren-Mercedes Young Driver Programme in 1998. He won the Karting World Cup and the European Championship in 2000. He then won the Formula Renault UK championship in 2003, the Formula 3 Euro Series in 2005 and the GP2 Series in 2006.
McLaren and the First Title
Hamilton made his Formula 1 debut for McLaren at the 2007 Australian Grand Prix and won his first race at the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix. He lost the 2007 championship to Kimi Räikkönen by one point. In 2008 he beat Felipe Massa to the title by one point, and at 23 he was then the youngest world champion in the sport's history.
Mercedes and Six More Titles
In 2013 Hamilton left McLaren for Mercedes. He won the world championship with the team in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, which brought his total to seven. He finished second to Nico Rosberg in 2016. In 2021 he lost the title to Max Verstappen on the last lap of the last race in Abu Dhabi, after a late safety car. He was knighted at Windsor Castle on 15 December 2021, days after that race, and became the fourth Formula 1 driver to be knighted. In 2024 he won the British Grand Prix for the ninth time, after a winless run of more than two years.
Ferrari
Hamilton signed for Ferrari for the 2025 season. His first year was difficult, and he finished sixth in the drivers' standings with 156 points, without a podium. In 2026 he finished second at the Canadian and Monaco Grands Prix. On 14 June 2026 he won the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, his first victory for Ferrari and the 106th of his career, and his seventh win at that circuit, which is more than any other driver.
Mission 44 and Off-Track Life
In 2021 Hamilton launched the charity Mission 44, which supports young people from under-represented groups in the United Kingdom. He is also known for his work on diversity in motorsport and has been named to Time's list of the 100 most influential people. He is the half-brother of the racing driver Nicolas Hamilton.
Legacy
Hamilton broke records for wins and pole positions in Formula 1, and he became the first Black driver to win the world championship. His move to Ferrari in his forties was one of the most closely followed transfers in the sport's history.
