Childhood and Education Journey of Lewis Hamilton in Timeline
Discover the defining moments in the early life of Lewis Hamilton. From birth to education, explore key events.
Lewis Hamilton is a British Formula One racing driver currently contracted to Ferrari. He is one of the most successful drivers in F1 history, holding a joint-record of seven World Drivers' Championship titles (tied with Michael Schumacher). Hamilton also holds the outright records for the most wins (105), pole positions (104), and podium finishes (202). He is a prominent figure in motorsport.
January 1985: Lewis Hamilton Born
In January 1985, Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, to Anthony Hamilton and Carmen Larbalestier.
February 2001: Began Studies at Cambridge Arts and Sciences
In February 2001, Lewis Hamilton began his studies at Cambridge Arts and Sciences (CATS), a private sixth-form college in Cambridge.
November 2007: Hamilton's relationship with Nicole Scherzinger begins
In November 2007, Lewis Hamilton began an on-and-off relationship with Nicole Scherzinger, the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls.
December 2007: Hamilton suspended from driving in France for speeding
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: Formula One Debut
In 2007, Lewis Hamilton debuted at the Australian Grand Prix, becoming the first black driver to compete in Formula One.
2007: Hamilton moves to Switzerland
In 2007, Lewis Hamilton relocated to Luins, Vaud, Switzerland, citing privacy as the primary reason.
June 2008: Lewis Hamilton Foundation registered
In June 2008, the Lewis Hamilton Foundation was registered, providing grants and donations to various charitable causes.
2010: Hamilton moves to Monaco
In 2010, Lewis Hamilton joined many other Formula One drivers by moving to Monaco, purchasing a house reportedly worth £10 million.
2010: Father stops being manager
In early 2010, Lewis Hamilton's father stopped being his manager, after supporting his career since he was a child.
2010: Hamilton fined for "hoon" driving in Australia
Two days before the 2010 Australian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton was witnessed by Victoria Police "deliberately losing traction" in his car and was subsequently fined A$500 for intentionally losing control of a vehicle, being described as a "hoon" by the magistrate.
2011: Hamilton makes a guest appearance in Cars 2
In 2011, Lewis Hamilton made a guest appearance in Cars 2, voicing an anthropomorphic version of himself.
March 2012: Hamilton makes film about Manila's street children
In March 2012, Lewis Hamilton traveled to the Philippines and created a short film about street children in Manila. The film was shown on ITV1 during Soccer Aid, helping to raise over £4.9 million for UNICEF.
October 2012: Hamilton visits UNICEF newborn care unit in India
In October 2012, while in India for the Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton visited a UNICEF-funded newborn care unit and nutrition center, expressing his role in helping to tell the stories of the world's most vulnerable children.
2013: Hamilton becomes Global Education Ambassador for Save the Children
In 2013, Lewis Hamilton became the Global Education Ambassador for Save the Children, actively supporting and promoting its education campaigns.
2014: Hamilton makes film about child malnutrition in Haiti
In 2014, Lewis Hamilton traveled to Haiti and created a short film about child malnutrition. The film was showcased on ITV1 during Soccer Aid, contributing to raising over £6 million for UNICEF.
2014: Hamilton wears Andy Warhol's art
Prior to the 2014 United States Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton wore a gold-framed version of Andy Warhol's Cars, Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupe painting around his neck.
2014: Hamilton picks number 44 as permanent car number
The Formula One number regulations were introduced in 2014 which allowed drivers to pick a unique car number to use for the remainder of their careers. Lewis Hamilton selected to compete under his old karting number 44.
February 2015: Hamilton's relationship with Nicole Scherzinger ends
In February 2015, Lewis Hamilton's on-and-off relationship with Nicole Scherzinger came to an end.
2015: Hamilton chooses to retain No. 44 instead of switching to No. 1
Before the start of the 2015 season, Lewis Hamilton announced he would not be exercising his option of switching his car number to 1 as reigning World Champion, and would instead continue to race with his career No. 44.
2015: Hamilton participates in UNICEF exhibition
In 2015, Lewis Hamilton took part in an exhibition to highlight UNICEF's work and to celebrate its twenty-year partnership with Starwood Hotels.
2015: Hamilton ranked richest British sportsperson
In 2015, Lewis Hamilton was ranked as the richest British sportsperson, with an estimated personal fortune of £88 million.
June 2017: Hamilton joins UNICEF Super Dads initiative
In June 2017, Lewis Hamilton joined the Super Dads initiative, a UNICEF campaign emphasizing the vital role of fathers in early childhood development.
August 2017: Hamilton visits Havana with UNICEF
In August 2017, Lewis Hamilton visited Havana with UNICEF to learn more about its first development programs in Cuba.
2017: Hamilton buys apartment in Manhattan
In 2017, Lewis Hamilton purchased an apartment in Manhattan, New York, for US$40 million.
2017: Hamilton cites veganism reasons
In 2017, Lewis Hamilton stated that he had become vegan due to concerns about the environmental impact and cruelty associated with the production of cows.
2017: Hamilton voices a voice command assistant in Cars 3
In 2017, Lewis Hamilton voiced a voice command assistant in Cars 3.
2017: Hamilton's company opposes Swatch Group's trademark application
In 2017, Lewis Hamilton's rights management company, 44IP, opposed Swatch Group's application to register a trade mark for "HAMILTON INTERNATIONAL" in Europe.
2017: Hamilton became the "maestro" of the Gran Turismo series
Since 2017, Lewis Hamilton served as the "maestro" of the Gran Turismo series.
2018: Hamilton launches TOMMYXLEWIS clothing line
In 2018, Lewis Hamilton launched the clothing line TOMMYXLEWIS during New York Fashion Week in collaboration with Tommy Hilfiger and models Winnie Harlow and Hailey Baldwin.
2018: Hamilton raises money for the Small Steps Project
In 2018, Lewis Hamilton raised £6,411 for the Small Steps Project through a charity auction.
2018: Hamilton credited as an executive producer for The Game Changers
In 2018, Lewis Hamilton was credited as an executive producer for the documentary film The Game Changers.
2018: Hamilton featured on Christina Aguilera's song "Pipe" under the pseudonym XNDA
In 2018, Lewis Hamilton was featured on Christina Aguilera's song "Pipe" under the pseudonym XNDA.
2018: Hamilton named PETA Person of the Year
In 2018, Lewis Hamilton was recognized as the PETA Person of the Year for his vegan activism.
2018: Hamilton's net worth reported at £159 million
In 2018, Lewis Hamilton's net worth was reported to be £159 million.
2018: Hamilton's Global Travels and Clothing Line Launch
In 2018, after winning the Italian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton traveled to Shanghai and New York to release his designer clothing line with Tommy Hilfiger before winning the next race in Singapore.
September 2019: Hamilton launches Neat Burger vegan restaurant chain
In September 2019, Lewis Hamilton launched Neat Burger, a vegan restaurant chain claiming to be the first international plant-based burger chain.
November 2019: Hamilton's Time Trial Challenge DLC pack released in Gran Turismo Sport
In November 2019, Lewis Hamilton's Time Trial Challenge DLC pack was released in the game Gran Turismo Sport.
2019: Hamilton raises money for the Small Steps Project
In 2019, Lewis Hamilton raised £6,000 for the Small Steps Project through a charity auction.
January 2020: Hamilton donates to Australian bushfire relief and aims for carbon neutrality
In January 2020, Lewis Hamilton donated US$500,000 to causes supporting bushfire relief in Australia. He also announced his goal to achieve carbon neutrality by the end of 2020, implementing measures like using recyclable items in his office and household and selling his private jet.
July 2020: Hamilton confirms being XNDA on Christina Aguilera's song
In July 2020, Lewis Hamilton confirmed that he was the artist XNDA featured on Christina Aguilera's 2018 song "Pipe", revealing that he had been writing and recording music for ten years.
August 2020: Hamilton listed as investor who purchased fashion magazine W
In August 2020, Daily Front Row listed Lewis Hamilton as one of a group of high-profile investors who purchased fashion magazine W.
September 2020: Hamilton launches Team X44 to compete in Extreme E
In September 2020, Lewis Hamilton launched Team X44 to compete in the all-electric SUV off-road racing series Extreme E from the 2021 season on.
2020: Hamilton partners with #TOGETHERBAND and promotes education
In 2020, Lewis Hamilton partnered with the charity campaign #TOGETHERBAND to promote the United Nations' 17 Global Goals. As part of this work, Hamilton visited Alperton Community School in North West London to discuss the importance of education with students.
2020: Hamilton raises money for the Small Steps Project
In 2020, Lewis Hamilton raised another £4,000 for the Small Steps Project. Additionally, a donated race suit reportedly raised €20,000 for vulnerable children.
2020: Hamilton richest British sports star
In 2020, Lewis Hamilton's fortune was an estimated £224 million, making him the richest British sports star in the history of the Sunday Times Rich List.
2020: EUIPO rejects Hamilton's company's arguments in trademark case
In 2020, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) rejected 44IP's arguments, ruling that there had been no bad faith by Swatch Group, with "HAMILTON INTERNATIONAL" having been used on relevant goods since 1892.
2021: Team X44 finishes 2nd in inaugural Extreme E championship
In 2021, Team X44 finished 2nd in the inaugural Extreme E championship, behind Nico Rosberg's RXR team.
2021: Neat Burger recognized as Best Vegan Restaurant for second consecutive year
In 2021, for the second consecutive year, Neat Burger was crowned Best Vegan Restaurant at the Deliveroo Restaurant Awards. Neat Burger was also named People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals's inaugural Company of the Year.
January 2022: X44 crowned inaugural winners of Extreme E Sustainability Award
In January 2022, X44, Lewis Hamilton's Extreme E team, were crowned the inaugural winners of the Extreme E Sustainability Award.
March 2022: Hamilton to legally change name to include Larbalestier
In March 2022, Lewis Hamilton revealed that he was in the process of legally changing his name to include his mother's maiden name, Larbalestier, as a middle name.
June 2022: Hamilton made honorary citizen of Brazil
On June 9, 2022, Lewis Hamilton was made an honorary citizen of Brazil, following a proposal passed in the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies.
August 2022: Hamilton joins ownership group of Denver Broncos
In August 2022, Lewis Hamilton became part of the ownership group of the National Football League's Denver Broncos.
October 2022: Hamilton founds Dawn Apollo Films
In October 2022, Lewis Hamilton established the production company Dawn Apollo Films.
2022: Hamilton's fortune increases to £300 million
By 2022, Lewis Hamilton's fortune had increased to £300 million.
2022: Hamilton offered role in Top Gun: Maverick, but declines
In 2022, Lewis Hamilton revealed he was offered a role as a fighter pilot in the film Top Gun: Maverick by Tom Cruise but had to decline due to his Formula One commitments.
November 2023: Hamilton player skin added to Fortnite
In November 2023, Epic Games added a cosmetic Lewis Hamilton player skin to Fortnite. A likeness of Hamilton's dog, Roscoe, was also added to the game.
September 2024: Hamilton reveals battle with depression
In September 2024, Lewis Hamilton stated in an interview that he has been battling depression from the age of 13.
2024: Hamilton executive produces Motorcycle Mary
In 2024, Lewis Hamilton served as one of the executive producers on Motorcycle Mary, a short documentary film about Mary McGee.
