Lewis Hamilton

To write about Lewis Hamilton is to attempt to summarise one of the greatest sporting achievements in human history. Born and raised in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, Hamilton defied the social and financial barriers that have long kept working-class kids out of motorsport, rising through karting on the back of McLaren junior support to become the most statistically dominant racing driver the sport has ever produced. His 2007 Formula 1 debut with McLaren was one of the most remarkable in the sport's history — he nearly won the championship in his very first season, and returned in 2008 to claim it. The first of many.

His move to Mercedes in 2013 triggered an era of near-total domination. Six further World Championships followed — in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 — placing him level with Michael Schumacher on seven titles while surpassing every significant record in Formula 1 history: most wins (106), most pole positions (104), most podiums (207). The seismic move to Ferrari for 2025 was one of modern sport's biggest stories; after a difficult debut season in red, he delivered an emotional first Ferrari victory at the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix.

At 41 and entering his 20th season, Hamilton remains a supremely complete racing driver — a wet-weather genius, a master of tyre preservation, and a qualifying predator whose instincts for the race have never been sharper.