Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton MBE - (Born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver competing in Formula One, currently driving for Mercedes (& soon Ferrari). Hamilton has won a joint-record 7 Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles (tied with Michael Schumacher), and holds the records for most wins (103), pole positions (104), and podium finishes (198), among others.
Born and raised in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, Hamilton joined the McLaren Young Driver Programme in 1998. This led to a Formula One drive with McLaren from 2007 to 2012, making him the first black driver to race in the series. In his debut season, Hamilton set numerous records as he finished runner-up to Kimi Räikkönen by one point. The following season, he won his maiden title in dramatic fashion—making a crucial overtake on the last lap of the last race of the season—to become the then-youngest ever Formula One World Champion.
