Jump To Lewis Hamilton's Stats
If you're going to be a Formula One champ, you better start training early in life. Lewis Hamilton set his driving career in motion when he was nine-years-old. He introduced himself to McLaren team boss Ron Dennis at an award ceremony in 1995. As the not-so-shy Hamilton asked for his autograph, he explained that his future was aimed at driving top flight for the McLaren garage.
In 1998, he was officially signed to the McLaren Driver Development Support program. By the time he was 13, he was the youngest such driver to have been contracted by an F1 team. The contract guaranteed financial and technical support and even included a future option for entry into Formula One. By 2006, Hamilton had earned a seat in a McLaren just as he promised Dennis. And it was Dennis who assigned him the slot. It didn't take too long before Hamilton would make his F1 mark. In 2007, Hamilton showed his rivals that he was not to be taken lightly. He finished second overall behind Kimi Räikkönen.
Lewis Hamilton won the 2008 F1 world championship with points after finishing fifth in the Brazilian Grand Prix and before the entire season was over. Hamilton became the youngest ever driver to win the F1 world championship. At 23 years and 301 days, he edged out Fernando Alonso’s record of 24 years 59 days - which was set in 2005.
His love life has been fast and furious. Off and on, he has dated former Pussycat Dolls member Nicole Scherzinger for more than four years. Even last year, Scherzinger's father got in the mix with a media announcement that the pair – Hamilton and his daughter – were engaged to be married. He should have checked with Nicole. Her PR folks immediately quashed that announcement and the twosome have apparently called it quits all together.
