Lewis Hamilton is arguably the greatest driver in Formula1. He has dominated the sport through the years and has smashed records. Many challengers have come and gone, but his dominance in the sport has been absolute and never faltering. He is one of the most recognizable figures of the sport and has a massive fan following. Let us take a look at how the kid from Stevenage took over the world of F1 in the Lewis Hamilton biography.
Lewis Hamilton Biography: How Did Hamilton Get Into F1?
Karting Days
Hamilton started karting at the tender age of 8 all the way back in 1993. Success soon followed, and by the age of 10, he was in the British Championship. He approached the McLaren team boss for an autograph at an event and said, “Hi. I’m Lewis Hamilton. I won the British Championship and one day I want to be racing your cars”.
He was soon a part of the McLaren driver development program. His contract included an option for a future f1 seat, making him the youngest driver to land a contract that leads to an F1 racing spot.
Formula Renault and Formula Three
Hamilton made his single-seater debut in the 2001 Formula Renault UK Winter Series finishing fifth overall. He then spent 2002 and 2003 competing in the Formula Renault UK series, winning the series in 2003. Hamilton made his Formula 3 debut the following year, competing in the Formula 3 Euro Series again, placing fifth in his debut campaign.
He also tested an F1 car for the first time in the same year, testing McLaren at Silverstone. 2005 saw him take part in the Euro Series champions ASM, where he dominated the championship.
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GP2/ Formula 2
He debuted in the GP2 series, now Formula 2 Championship, in 2006 and clinched the title in his first attempt. He beat the likes of Nelson Piqet Jr. and Timo Glock to the title. His GP2 win coincided with an F1 seat vacancy at McLaren.
The seat was handed to Hamilton, who had displayed immense talent and promised through the junior series. He was also a part of the McLaren driver development program, which made him a prime candidate for the seat.
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This is how one of the icons of the game got their shot at F1. Success at McLaren followed but not without its adversaries. He won the 2008 drivers championship with McLaren and spent 5 years at the team. He then switched to race for Mercedes Petronas AMG, and his era of F1 dominance began.