Hamilton, Lewis (Sir Lewis Carl
Davidson Hamilton), 1985–, British race car driver. After winning
several European and world karting championships, he joined the British
Formula Renault series in 2002 and won the championship in 2003, moved to
the Formula Three Euroseries in 2004 and won the championship in 2005, then
moved to and won the Grand Prix Two championship in 2006. He began Formula
One (F1) racing in 2007, driving for McLaren, and lost the world
championship by one point, then won it in 2008, becoming the youngest driver
to do so. With Mercedes-Benz from 2013, Hamilton became the first British
driver to win back-to-back titles in 2014–15, and since has won the
F1 championship in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020, tying Michael Schumacher's record. In 2020 his 92d
F1 career win broke Schumacher record for wins. He was knighted in 2020.
See his memoir (2008); biography by F. Worrall (2009).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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