Challenges in the Life of Lewis Hamilton in a Detailed Timeline

A closer look at the defining struggles that shaped Lewis Hamilton's life and career.

Sir Lewis Hamilton is a highly accomplished British Formula One racing driver currently competing for Ferrari. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time, having secured a joint-record seven World Drivers' Championship titles, sharing the honor with Michael Schumacher. Beyond his championship wins, Hamilton holds numerous records, including the most wins (105), pole positions (104), and podium finishes (203), solidifying his place as a dominant force in the sport.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

December 2007: Hamilton Suspended from Driving

On December 18, 2007, Lewis Hamilton was suspended from driving in France for a month after being caught speeding at 196 km/h on a French motorway. His Mercedes-Benz CLK was also impounded.

2007: Collapse of relationship with Alonso

As a result of the events over the 2007 season, the relationship between Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso reportedly collapsed, with the pair not on speaking terms for a short period.

2007: Hungarian Grand Prix Qualifying Incident

At the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix, during the final qualifying session, Lewis Hamilton went out on track ahead of Fernando Alonso and ignored requests from the team to let him through. Alonso was then delayed in the pits by Hamilton and thus unable to set a final lap time before the end of the session. Alonso was relegated to sixth place on the starting grid, promoting Hamilton to first, while McLaren was docked Constructors' Championship points.

2007: Racist abuse at Chinese Grand Prix

In 2007, Lewis Hamilton suffered racist abuse from Spanish Formula One supporters at the Chinese Grand Prix.

2007: Tensions with Fernando Alonso at Monaco

In 2007, tensions arose between Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, and McLaren after Hamilton finished second behind Alonso at Monaco. The FIA investigated whether McLaren had broken rules by enforcing team orders, but McLaren denied favouring Alonso, and the FIA vindicated the team.

2008: Racist abuse at Circuit de Catalunya

In 2008, Lewis Hamilton was heckled and abused during pre-season testing at the Circuit de Catalunya by Spanish spectators wearing black face paint and black wigs, as well as shirts bearing racist words. A website called pinchalaruedadeHamilton, which translates into English as "burst Hamilton's tyre", contained an image of Interlagos that allowed users to leave nails and porcupines on the track for Hamilton's car to run over.

2009: Start of Period with Lower Championship Finishes

From 2009, Hamilton did not finish higher than fourth in the Drivers' Championship until 2013, testing his resolve professionally and personally.

2009: Challenging Season with McLaren and Performance Improvement

In 2009, McLaren faced a challenging start due to major technical regulation changes. Hamilton struggled initially, but major upgrades at the German Grand Prix dramatically improved the car's performance. From that point onward, Hamilton advanced in the standings, securing two race victories and three additional podium finishes.

2010: Title Battle and Missed Championship

In 2010, Hamilton was partnered by Jenson Button and engaged in a four-way title battle with Alonso, Vettel, and Webber. He secured McLaren's only pole position of the season at the Canadian Grand Prix and led the championship after winning the race. However, misfortunes in the latter half of the season resulted in Hamilton losing vital points, ultimately finishing fourth in the standings as Vettel won the title.

2010: Hamilton's Car Impounded in Australia

In 2010, two days before the Australian Grand Prix, Victoria Police witnessed Lewis Hamilton deliberately losing traction in his silver Mercedes-AMG C63, and impounded the car for 48 hours. He was later fined A$500.

2011: Challenging Season and Inconsistent Performances

2011 was a challenging year for Hamilton. He was out-scored by his teammate for the first time. Setbacks in his private life and on-track collisions contributed to inconsistent performances. Hamilton finished fifth in the standings with three race wins and vowed to return to form.

2012: Title Contention and Move to Mercedes

In 2012, McLaren emerged as contenders, with Hamilton in title contention during the first half of the season. However, inconsistent results and mechanical failures plagued the latter half, leading to a fourth-place finish. Despite achieving four race wins and a season-high seven pole positions, Hamilton lost an estimated 110 points due to retirements and misfortunes. Prior to the end of 2012, Hamilton announced that he would be joining Mercedes for the 2013 season.

2013: Joining Mercedes

In 2012, Hamilton announced that he would be joining Mercedes for the 2013 season.

2013: First Season with Mercedes

In 2013, Hamilton signed with Mercedes, reuniting with Nico Rosberg. The move was considered a gamble. Amidst Mercedes W04's tyre management struggles, Hamilton finished fourth, securing five podium finishes and pole positions, with only one converted into a race victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix. He endured a difficult latter half of the season, managing only one podium finish.

2014: Double standards in media treatment

In 2014, The Guardian journalist Joseph Harker highlighted double-standards in Lewis Hamilton's treatment compared to other British drivers by British newspapers, suggesting that his skin colour has played a factor in a perceived lack of acceptance among the British public.

2016: Runner-Up to Rosberg

In 2016, Hamilton finished runner-up to Rosberg. After a challenging start due to poor race-starts and mechanical failures, he won six of seven races mid-season. Despite engine blowout in Malaysia, Hamilton entered the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix trailing Rosberg by 12 points, and attempted to slow Rosberg down to allow other drivers to overtake him, but was unsuccessful. Although Hamilton had a season-high 10 race victories, Rosberg took the title before retiring.

December 2018: Controversial remarks at BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards

In December 2018, Lewis Hamilton caused controversy at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards after saying on live television, "It really was a dream for us all as a family to do something different. For us to get out of the slums", before correcting himself. He later apologized for his comments on Instagram.

2019: Rio Ferdinand describes media scrutiny as racist

In 2019, footballer Rio Ferdinand described media scrutiny of Lewis Hamilton as having "racist undertones" and contrasted Hamilton's treatment to that of fellow British driver Jenson Button.

2019: End of Unbeaten Streak in Wet Weather Races

In the 2019 German Grand Prix, Max Verstappen broke Hamilton's almost five-year unbeaten streak in wet weather races.

2020: Seventh World Drivers' Title

Hamilton dominated the 2020 season to win his seventh Drivers' title, equalling the record for most titles set by Schumacher. He secured ten pole positions and eleven race victories, breaking the record for all-time most wins. Hamilton missed the Sakhir Grand Prix after contracting COVID-19. He clinched the title at the Turkish Grand Prix.

2021: Ended Runner-Up to Max Verstappen

In 2021, Lewis Hamilton became the first driver to surpass 100 race wins and pole positions, but ended as runner-up to Max Verstappen amidst a disputed finish.

2021: Online racist abuse

In 2021, Lewis Hamilton was subjected to online racist abuse following a controversial win at the British Grand Prix. Mercedes, Formula One, and the FIA issued a joint statement condemning the abuse.

2021: Title Decided on Last Lap

The 2021 season saw Max Verstappen and Hamilton emerge as title favourites, leading to intense on-track battles. Hamilton achieved his 100th pole position and race win. However, Hamilton was denied the championship by a last-lap overtake from Verstappen in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. During the year, Hamilton extended his contract with Mercedes.

2022: Winless Campaign

In 2022, Lewis Hamilton had a winless campaign, marking a challenging season in his Formula One career.

2022: Challenging Season with Mercedes

In 2022, driving alongside George Russell, Hamilton experienced his first Formula One season without a race win or pole position. Due to technical regulation changes, Mercedes struggled with the W13 car, which suffered from porpoising, leading to a back injury for Hamilton at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He finished sixth in the standings, behind his teammate Russell, marking the first time since 2016 he was outscored by a teammate.

2023: Another Winless Campaign

In 2023, Lewis Hamilton experienced another winless campaign, continuing a period of challenges in his Formula One career.

September 2024: Hamilton Discusses Battling Depression

In an interview in September 2024, Lewis Hamilton stated that he has been battling depression from the age of 13, linking the symptoms to the pressure of racing, difficulties at school, and being bullied. He also described having "some difficult phases" in his twenties.

2024: Reference to 2024 season

Hamilton's difficulties with the ground-effect generation of cars persisted throughout his debut season with Ferrari, much like in 2024, referencing a challenging season.

2024: Departure from Mercedes Announced

In 2024, Hamilton triggered an exit clause in his contract with Mercedes, announcing his departure at the end of the season. Despite a challenging season adapting to the W15 car, he secured his ninth British Grand Prix victory, ending a 31-month winless drought. He finished the season a career-lowest seventh in the championship.

2025: Joining Ferrari in 2025

In 2025, Hamilton joined Ferrari on a multi-year agreement, replacing Carlos Sainz Jr. This marked the first time in his career where he did not drive for a Mercedes-powered team, resulting in a challenging debut season marked by fluctuating results, including a sprint victory at the Chinese Grand Prix before disqualification from the main race. He ended the season sixth in the championship.