Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, to a British-Grenadian family. His father Anthony worked multiple jobs to fund his son's karting career. Lewis won the British karting championship at nine, and at thirteen met Ron Dennis, the McLaren principal, at an awards ceremony. Lewis wrote in the awards book: "I want to race for McLaren one day." Dennis replied: "Phone me in nine years." Hamilton did — and became their driver.

Hamilton's 2007 Formula 1 debut remains the most stunning in history. Driving for McLaren alongside two-time champion Fernando Alonso, the rookie very nearly won the World Championship in his first year — eventually losing to Kimi Räikkönen by a single point. He won it in his second year (2008) in one of sport's most dramatic final-race conclusions, passing Timo Glock on the final corner of the final lap.

The move to Mercedes in 2013 was the pivotal decision of his career. When the hybrid-power era began in 2014, Mercedes' dominance was total, and Hamilton exploited it maximally. Six more World Championships followed, including a dominant 2019 and an extraordinary 2020 season (in the middle of the pandemic and his own COVID diagnosis) that equalled Schumacher's record of 7 titles.

Hamilton's racing excellence is inseparable from his identity as a Black man in a predominantly white sport. His advocacy for diversity in Formula 1 — "I am the only Black driver in the 70-year history of this sport" — and his Black Lives Matter activism in 2020 expanded his significance far beyond racing. He received a knighthood in January 2021.