Lewis Hamilton: The career of a Formula One legend

In the final race of the 2024 F1 season, Hamilton finished fourth after starting 16th. It was a special way for the long-standing Mercedes driver to finish his time with the team, as the 39-year-old departs after 246 appearances for the German outfit. Hamilton was emotional afterwards, pausing by the car and later saying: "There’s a lot of love within this team, and that’s not going anywhere."

Ahead of the 2024 season, in one of the biggest shocks in sport, Hamilton revealed he would be leaving Mercedes - a team he had been with since he was 13 - to join Ferrari for the 2025 season. In the famous red, Charles Leclerc will be his new teammate. As a reminder of his quality, the 39-year-old ended his 31-month winless streak by winning his home Grand Prix.

Hamilton has grown into a leader and an activist since arriving on the grid in 2007. The Briton has worked tirelessly to increase diversity across the sport and hasn't been afraid to be a voice of support for those less fortunate or facing discrimination. After the departure of Sebastian Vettel, he is one of the few bold voices left on the grid.

After a painful title loss, Hamilton and Mercedes hit a low as the team struggled to adapt to significant changes to technical regulations in both 2022 and 2023. The car bounced and Hamilton called it undriveable. Despite sealing podiums, Hamilton went two straight campaigns without a win as Red Bull and Verstappen's dominance grew.

In 2021, with the emergence of Red Bull and Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes engaged in one of the great F1 seasons. The pair battled it out throughout a season filled with dramatic victories and tense collisions. In the final race, with the title on the line, Verstappen beat Hamilton with a last-lap overtake in a finish marred by controversy that denied Hamilton his eighth title.

Lewis Hamilton gets the champagne treatment in Istanbul on a day that he equalled Michael Schumacher's record of seven world titles. He achieved it with a typically controlled masterclass in wet conditions, securing his place among the greatest — if not the greatest — driver the sport has ever seen.

Despite the 2020 season being abbreviated by COVID-19, Lewis Hamilton kept making history. In round 12 of 17, Hamilton overcame a tough start to win in Portimao, a track in Portugal making its Formula One debut. The win took Hamilton's career race wins to 92, one more than Michael Schumacher. His win in Russia in 2021 took him to 100. By the end of 2024, he had 105 race wins to his name.

Hamilton is very mindful of his image, and is a popular figure with many famous people in a variety of different fields. He is often seen in the front row of fashion shows. Above he is pictured with supermodel Naomi Campbell (left) at a fashion show in Milan. In 2020, Hamilton launched his own line with American signer Tommy Hilfiger. He has been named co-chair of the 2025 Met Gala.

Just days after winning the title, Hamilton was in the headlines for something completely different. According to information released as part of the "Paradise Papers" the Briton avoided paying more than $4 million (€3.4 million) in taxes on a private jet by registering it in the Isle of Man. Hamilton said he trusted the advice of his lawyers, who had assured him that the arrangements were legal.

Lewis Hamilton enjoys competing against the odds and going into the 2017 F1 season Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel looked the best bet to pose a credible title challenge. With the German plagued by a series of mechanical failures during the campaign, Hamilton helped himself to his fourth drivers' title in the third-last race of the season.

Hamilton has had his fair few battles in F1. He had a tense relationship with Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg, especially in 2016 when the German won the drivers' championship ahead of him. Later, he had friction on the track with Verstappen and even at times with Mercedes teammate George Russell.

The Briton's favorite driver when he was growing up was the late Ayrton Senna. In Montreal in June, Hamilton captured the 68th pole position of his career, equaling the record of Senna, who died in a crash at Imola in 1994. Senna's family recognized the achievement by presenting Hamilton with one of the late Brazilian driver's helmets. In 2022, he became an honorary Brazilian citizen.

Like the parents of many professional athletes, Hamilton's father Anthony (above, left) made many sacrifices to make Lewis' development as a driver possible, at times holding down as many as three jobs at once. Anthony was Lewis' manager when he first arrived on the circuit in 2007, but the two ended their business relationship in 2010. The two now have a close father-son relationship.

His entire family are a priority for Hamilton — including his younger half-brother Nicolas, who despite suffering from cerebral palsy has also managed to become a professional racecar driver. Lewis almost burst with pride when Nicolas moved up the British Touring Car Championship in 2015, and regularly supports him at his races.

Ron Dennis (left) was one of the biggest influences on Hamilton early in his career. The longtime team principal of McLaren was impressed when the then-10-year-old Hamilton one day approached him for his autograph and said he intended to drive for McLaren in the future. Three years later, Dennis brought Hamilton into McLaren's youth program.

At the age of eight, Hamilton (second from right) enjoyed his first win as a driver racing go-karts. He first came into contact with Formula One in 1996, when Mika Hakkinen (right), who would go on to win two F1 titles, presented the trophies at an an event to honor up-and-coming drivers.