Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton has taken Formula One by storm. He is the new face of the sport. Lewis is destined to have a great career and if his 1st season is anything to go by he will break all the records. So you want to know more about Lewis Hamilton. Well this hub is for you.

Lewis Hamilton's grandparents moved to the United Kingdom from Grenada in the 1950s. His grandfather worked on the London Underground. His mother Carmen and father Anthony named him after the US Olympic gold medal winning athlete Carl Lewis. Hamilton's parents separated when he was two and, until he was ten, he lived with his mother and half-sisters Nicola and Samantha. After that he lived with his father, stepmother Linda and half-brother Nicholas who has cerebral palsy.

Hamilton's first taste of racing competition came at the controls of radio-controlled cars. Father Anthony bought him one in 1991, and Hamilton finished second in the national championship the following year. Hamilton said of the time: "I was racing these remote-controlled cars and winning club championships against adults". That led to Hamilton sampling kart racing for the first time. Aged six, his father bought him his first go-kart as a Christmas present, and would support his racing career as long as he worked hard at school. When supporting his son became problematic Anthony Hamilton took redundancy as an IT Manager and became a contractor - sometimes doing up to three jobs at a time to support his son's career - and still found enough time to attend all his races. He would later set up his own computer company, as well as working as a manager for Hamilton on a full time basis. Lewis Hamilton with Pedro de la Rosa (left), Paul di Resta and Bruno Spengler at Stars and Cars 2007 Lewis Hamilton with Pedro de la Rosa (left), Paul di Resta and Bruno Spengler at Stars and Cars 2007

Hamilton attended The John Henry Newman School in Stevenage. He took up karate at an early age when his driving attracted the attention of local bullies. By the time he was twelve, he had gained his first black belt in the sport. He extended his skills to football, playing in his school team alongside current Aston Villa and England International midfielder Ashley Young.

On October 29, 2007, Hamilton announced his intent to live in Switzerland, to get away from the media scrutiny he has experienced living in the United Kingdom. Hamilton mentioned on the television show Parkinson (broadcast on 10th November 2007), that taxation was 'partly' responsible for his decision, in addition to wanting more privacy. Other Formula One drivers, including world champions Michael Schumacher, Kimi Räikkönen and Fernando Alonso, also live in Switzerland.

On November 1, 2007, presented the "Most Addictive" award on the MTV Europe Music Awards 2007, due to the fact the Formula One sport is more popular in Europe.

On December 2, 2007, Hamilton appeared on BBC show Top Gear. His lap in the Suzuki Liana recorded was 1 minute and 44.7 seconds on a wet and oily track, only 0.3 seconds slower than the fastest dry track time (set by The Stig) despite the fact that a wet track is generally regarded as several seconds slower.

On December 9 2007, Lewis Hamilton came second in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

On December 18 2007, Lewis Hamilton was suspended from driving in France for a month after being caught speeding at 122mph on a French motorway. His Mercedes car was also impounded.