Lewis Hamilton
Seven-time Formula One World Champion and a leading voice for inclusion in motorsport.
- Nationality
- British
- Birthplace
- Stevenage, England
- Heritage
- Paternal family roots in Grenada
- Disciplines
- Formula 1
Lewis Hamilton was born in Stevenage, England, in 1985. He is British, and his paternal family has roots in Grenada in the Caribbean.
Karting to Formula 1
Hamilton started karting as a child and joined McLaren's young driver program. He made his Formula 1 debut with McLaren in 2007.
Seven world titles
He won the Drivers' Championship in 2008 with McLaren and in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 with Mercedes, equaling Michael Schumacher's record of seven titles. He joined Ferrari in 2025. Formula 1 records list him as the all-time leader in race wins and pole positions.
Inclusion
Hamilton set up The Hamilton Commission to research barriers facing young Black people in UK motorsport and engineering, and later the Mission 44 foundation to support young people from underrepresented groups.
Africa
Hamilton has spoken often about wanting Formula 1 to race in Africa again. Our feature on that subject is being fact-checked and will be published soon.
Last updated Oct 9, 2026 · Facts verified as of Oct 9, 2026
