Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. His father, Anthony Hamilton, is of Afro-Grenadian descent, while his mother, Carmen Larbalestier, is White British from Birmingham, making him mixed-race. Hamilton’s parents separated when he was two, and he initially lived with his mother and older half-sisters, Samantha and Nicola, until he was twelve. He then lived with his father, stepmother Linda, and half-brother Nicolas, who is also a professional racing driver. Hamilton was raised Catholic.
Hamilton began karting in 1993, quickly winning races and championships. By age ten, he had become the youngest driver to win the British cadet karting championship. In 2000, Hamilton also won the Karting World Cup and European Championship, progressing to junior formulae after these successes. He subsequently won the Formula 3 Euro Series and the GP2 Series before signing for McLaren in 2007, becoming the first black driver to compete in Formula One at the Australian Grand Prix. In his rookie season, Hamilton won four Grands Prix and set several records, finishing runner-up to Kimi Räikkönen by one point. He won his maiden title in 2008, making a title-deciding overtake on the last lap of the last race to become the then-youngest World Drivers' Champion.
Hamilton remained with McLaren for four further seasons, achieving multiple race wins each year. The Red Bull–Renault combination proved dominant during this period, but Hamilton remained competitive. In 2010, he engaged in a four-way title battle with Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. He moved to Mercedes in 2013 to partner his former karting teammate Nico Rosberg. A victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix preceded a period of Mercedes dominance.
Between 2014 and 2016, Hamilton and Rosberg won 51 of 59 Grands Prix amidst their fierce rivalry—widely known as the Silver War—with Hamilton winning the titles in 2014 and 2015, and Rosberg winning in 2016. After Rosberg’s retirement, Hamilton overcame mid-season point deficits to Sebastian Vettel to claim his fourth and fifth titles in 2017 and 2018. He won his sixth title in 2019, and then broke several records across his 2020 campaign—including the all-time win record at the Portuguese Grand Prix—to claim his record-equalling seventh. He achieved his 100th race win and 100th pole position in 2021, finishing runner-up to Max Verstappen amidst a disputed finish.
The 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix proved a highly contentious race. Hamilton led for the majority of the race, but a late safety car period and decisions by the race director allowed Max Verstappen to overtake him on the final lap, denying Hamilton an eighth World Championship. He endured a winless season in 2022, marking the first time in his career he did not secure a race victory. He took his record-breaking ninth British Grand Prix victory in 2024, his twelfth and final season with Mercedes.
Hamilton has engaged in ventures outside of Formula One. He co-founded the all-electric SUV off-road racing series team X44 to compete in Extreme E from the 2021 season, winning the championship in 2022. He also co-founded the vegan restaurant chain Neat Burger.
Hamilton has been recognised for his achievements both on and off the track. He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2009 and was knighted in the 2021 New Year Honours for services to motorsport. He has also been recognised by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people globally. He was made an honorary citizen of Brazil in 2022 and holds an honorary fellowship from the Royal Academy of Engineering.