Born in Stevenage on 7 January 1985, Lewis Hamilton has fulfilled every ounce of potential that he had during his illustrious racing career.
The Mercedes driver is level with the legendary Michael Schumacher with drivers’ championships and is already the best driver of all time in terms of points, victories and pole positions.
The British sensation got his first ever go-kart at the age of eight, after his father purchased a used racing kart from the back of the newspaper and rebuilt it for his son to compete in.
Upon entering his first competitive karting race, Hamilton was asked to choose a number to race under and chose the end of his father’s numberplate for inspiration and the Brit has carried this number 44 all the way though his racing career up until now.
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The karting sensation continued his success all the way through the junior series, winning the GP2 championship at the first time of asking, earning him a move to McLaren where he came ever so close to championship glory in his debut season.
The Brit won his first drivers’ championships with the team before making a controversial move to Mercedes, which has yielded a further six titles for the 38-year-old.
According to Forbes, Lewis Hamilton’s net worth is an astonishing £300m, making him the richest British athlete of all time, ahead of the likes of football legend David Beckham.
The seven-time world champion reportedly earned an eye-watering £47m from his Mercedes contract in 2022, despite not winning a race for the entire season as his team struggled under the major regulation changes that came at the start of the year.
Hamilton is set to sign a multi-year contract extension with the Silver Arrows before the 2023 F1 season gets underway in Bahrain in March and reports have suggested that the star could be set for another pay increase, with Hamilton’s salary rumoured to increase to just over £61m, should he accept Mercedes’ latest offer.
These staggering earnings do not even take into account Hamilton’s lucrative endorsements, as the Brit has partnered with some massive brands during his time in Formula 1.
The Mercedes driver reportedly made an extra £10m from these endorcements in 2022, making him one of the most financially successful sportsmen away from the sport itself.
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The TommyXLewis clothing range saw Hamilton collaborate with clothing giants Tommy Hilfiger and the 38-year-old also has a range of drinks with Monster Energy, with a new flavour teased by both Hamilton and the brand towards the end of last season.
Hamilton has also partnered with the likes of Sony and Bose, as global brands recognise how beneficial a collaboration with one of the world’s biggest sports stars can be for their business.
As for the Brit’s personal life, Hamilton is a very selfless individual, who focusses a lot of his time and energy on trying to make the world a better place.
The 31.2m followers of @lewishamilton on Instagram will often see the Mercedes driver share important causes to his story in an attempt to spread awareness for issues in the world that need the light shining on them.
The seven-time world champion also runs off a plant based diet, claiming a vegan friend he met in New York “opened his eyes to the realities of food production.”
Lewis Hamilton has also been named as Britain’s fifth-most generous individual, after it was revealed that the F1 driver has given away £20m in the past year alone to his Mission 44 foundation, which aims to transform the lives of those facing disadvantage and discrimination.
As you would expect someone with Hamilton’s riches to do, the Brit lives in Monaco when he is not travelling around the world with Formula 1 and also owns homes back in the UK and the USA.
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Despite previously dating Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, Hamilton has not been in a confirmed relationship since his messy split with the singer in 2015.
Eagled-eyed fans have come up with a theory that the Mercedes driver is dating again however, as a women appeared to be sat on Hamilton’s lap in a hot tub in a recent Instagram story, with the female in question rumoured to be Kayne West’s ex-girlfriend Juliana Nalu.
After two years without championship glory, Hamilton will hope to return in winning ways this season and make himself the undisputed best Formula 1 driver of all time.