Lewis Hamilton career timeline from karting to F1 (Formula One).
Early Life & Junior Racing (1985–2006)
- January 7, 1985: Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton is born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England.
- 1993: Begins karting at age eight and rapidly collects local and national championships.
- 1995: At age ten, wins the British Cadet Kart Championship. After the ceremony, he approaches McLaren F1 team principal Ron Dennis and says, “I want to race for you one day.” Dennis signs him to the McLaren Young Driver Support Programme three years later.
- 2000–2005: Dominates junior categories, winning the European Formula A Karting Championship (2000), the Formula Renault 2.0 UK Title (2003), and the Formula 3 Euro Series Championship (2005).
- 2006: Moves up to GP2 (now Formula 2) with ART Grand Prix, clinching the championship in his rookie season after a battle against Nelson Piquet Jr.
McLaren Era: Rapid Rise & First World Title (2007–2012)
- 2007: Makes his Formula 1 debut with McLaren alongside defending two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso. Hamilton scores a podium in his debut race in Australia and takes his first F1 victory at the Canadian Grand Prix. He finishes his rookie season 3rd overall, just one point behind champion Kimi Räikkönen.
- 2008: Secures his first Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship at the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix. Passing Timo Glock on the final corner of the last lap, Hamilton becomes the youngest F1 World Champion in history at the time.
- 2009–2012: Battles through mixed technical eras at McLaren. Despite sub-optimal car reliability, he earns 16 victories and 26 pole positions over four seasons, establishing himself as one of the fastest qualifier drivers on the grid.
Mercedes Era: Era of Domination (2013–2024)
- 2013: Makes a high-profile transition to the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team, taking his first victory for the Silver Arrows at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
- 2014: The turbo-hybrid engine era begins, launching a period of unprecedented dominance. Hamilton wins 11 races to claim his second World Championship.
- 2015: Secures his third World Championship with three races to spare, matching the title tally of his childhood idol, Ayrton Senna.
- 2016: Wins 10 races but finishes runner-up in the championship to teammate Nico Rosberg after a season-long title fight.
- 2017: Claims his fourth World Championship after a tight title duel with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel. He also breaks Michael Schumacher’s all-time record for most career pole positions.
- 2018: Earns his fifth World Championship, surpassing 400 season points and matching Juan Manuel Fangio’s five world titles.
- 2019: Captures his sixth World Championship, leading Mercedes to a sixth consecutive Constructors’ Championship.
- 2020: Ties Michael Schumacher’s record with a seventh World Drivers’ Championship. At the Portuguese Grand Prix, he passes Schumacher’s all-time win record of 91 Grand Prix victories. Knighted in the UK New Year Honours list.
- 2021: Reaches the milestone of 100 Grand Prix wins at the Russian Grand Prix. Enters the Abu Dhabi finale tied on points with Max Verstappen, finishing runner-up after a controversial final-lap restart.
- 2022–2023: Navigates ground-effect aerodynamic regulations as Mercedes struggles with car performance. Keeps building podium totals while pushing internal car development.
- 2024: Wins his home race at the British Grand Prix for a record ninth time, ending a 945-day winless streak. Later victories push his career win total to 105.
Scuderia Ferrari Chapter (2025–Present)
- February 2024: Shocks the motorsport world by announcing he will leave Mercedes at the end of the season to sign a multi-year deal with Scuderia Ferrari.
- 2025: Debuts for Scuderia Ferrari alongside Charles Leclerc. Focuses on adapting to the Italian squad’s setup during a rebuilding phase.
- 2026: Claims his first Grand Prix victory for Scuderia Ferrari at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, bringing his career victory total to 106. Continues fighting at the front of the grid as the 2026 championship battle unfolds.
All-Time F1 Career Statistics
- World Championships: 7 (2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)
- Race Wins: 106
- Pole Positions: 104
- Podium Finishes: 207
