F1 LEGENDS | LEWIS HAMILTON
A champion is one who is remembered. A legend is one who is never forgotten. — Matshona Dhliwayo
Welcome, F1 Fans, I warmly welcome you to this new series called “F1 Legends” which is based on the life stories of legendary Formula 1 drivers that made their mark in the Formula 1 motorsport with their skills, talent, and ingenuity.
This is the “1st-Installment” of this series in which I will talk about “Lewis Hamilton” the current legend, that dominated the F1 world since 2014.
Therefore, grab your drinks & popcorn because it going to be an emotional & exciting journey!!😍
ORIGIN
Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton commonly known as — “Lewis Hamilton” was born on the 7th of January 1985 in Stevenage in the South of England. He was born in a mix-raced Catholic family, his father “Anthony Hamilton” was also born in “England” in 1956, but his lineage can be traced back to “Grenada” in the “West Indies” and her mother “Carmen Larbalestier” was from England and they married in 1985 and gave birth to “Lewis Hamilton”.
However, unfortunately, Lewis’s parents got divorced when Lewis was 2 years old, his father took care of him, and later on, his father married another woman named “Linda Lockhart” when Lewis was 12 years old and before their marriage, she already had two daughters named “Nicola Lockhart”, “Samantha Lockhart” & gave birth to “Nicolas Hamilton” after their marriage.
STRUGGLING DAYS
From his childhood, he was intrigued by car racing and always wanted to become a race car driver, therefore, he decided to take part in kart racing, however, he didn’t have the Go-kart and asked his father to get him one but he denied because he didn’t have much money but with the passage of time, his father saw the vast amount eagerness and enthusiasm in Lewis about car racing and by seeing such passion, he left his job as IT manager and started a small business and bought Lewis a “Go-kart” and from that day forward he started to support Lewis’s dream of car racing.
GO-KART RACING DAYS
After getting the Go-kart he entered the kart racing championships, from here on, he didn’t stop and proved his talent & skills by winning the championships one-after-another and became the Youngest British Cadet karting Champion at the age of 10 in 1995.
His success spread like fire which gave him an opportunity to meet the Boss of McLaren “Ron Dennis”, when he met him for an autograph, he said
“Hi. I’m Lewis Hamilton. I won the British karting Championship and one day, I want to be racing your cars.”
And He replied by writing on the autograph book;
“Phone me in nine years, we’ll sort something out then.”
FORMULA THREE RACING JOURNEY
Ever since the meet-up with Ron Dennis”, Lewis put all his focus and energy into sharpening his racing skills, and exactly 3-years later in 1998 he got the call from McLaren to join the “Future Formula 1 driver program” that came with an opportunity to secure a seat in a Formula One Car.
After winning races under the program in Formula A (2000) & Formula Super A (2001), he became the European Champion, and with his rapid success in the F1 world, he became the “Rising Star” in the British racing drivers club which helped him in starting his career with “Renault” in 2001 and participated in British F3- championship in 2003 and dominated the championship with his skills & talent.
JOURNEY WITH MCLAREN
After F3 Championship, he decided to go for Formula Two championship with McLaren in 2004, and with his debut in F2 in 2006, he defeated the champion of F2 and successfully got a seat in Formula 1 with McLaren as a second driver partnered with the undefeated champion Fernando Alonzo in 2007.
RISE OF A LEGEND - FROM (2007 to 2012)
Lewis Hamilton participated in F1 races with McLaren as the first “Black Driver” in the World Championship with his debut, he broke several records like “most consecutive podium finishes from the debut” and “most wins in a debut” etc… and won the first Grand Prix at the start of the season that broke the ground and put the team McLaren in a comfortable position in Constructor’s Championship. Which made everybody to recognize his hidden talent and racing skills
However, as he continued racing in F1 with McLaren, he won his first World Championship title in 2008 but after his victory, things changed dramatically and he started to face several problems and disputes with his partner Fernando Alonzo that made him cut the contract with McLaren at the end of 2012.
In his years of racing for McLaren, he won the World Championship title and also won many races to make his name in the world of F1.
A NEW ERA OF SUCCESS WITH MERCEDES (2013–Present)
At the end of 2012, he left “McLaren” and signed a contract with a new team called “Mercedes” that came back in formula racing in 2010, when it bought “brawnGP” which was a Constructor Winner of 2009 and in 2013 when he joined Mercedes, the critics said;
“Joining the team that hasn’t had any track record of racing in F1 is the biggest mistake that Lewis did.”
However, this mistake turned out to be a life-changing moment for Lewis, as at the beginning of 2013 the FIA changed the regulations; that mandated the use of the Turbo-Hybrid engine which contributed to the era of his success as he won 16 out of 19 races in that season with his teammate Nico Rosberg and 11 of those are his sole wins due to which he had been able to clinch the World Drivers Championship tile from his teammate’s hands, after the long duels & tensions between them.
From thereon, he started winning World Championships with “Mercedes” in 2014, and 2015 and he also won consecutive championships in 2018, 2019 & 2020 and earned the title of “World’s Most Championship Winner”.
Also, in 2021 he almost got the world championship but in the last race in Abu Dhabi, his rival “Max Verstappen” from team “Red Bull” seized the title of World Championship from “Lewis” on the bases of technicalities of FIA regulations. However, he is still optimistic and trying his best to win the championships by focusing on his dream and goals.
FINAL THOUGHTS
During his lifetime, from his childhood to adulthood and from Go-Kart racing to F1 driver he faced racism and disappointments due to his black background. However, he never gave up on his dream and stood firmly in bad times and in good times, he behaved like a gentleman with Gratitude for his team, crew, family, and GOD… In some interview, he said,
“I feel that God’s hand is on me that helped me to achieve my dream”
After achieving his dream and accomplishing so much he didn’t react or behave full of himself or didn’t sit quietly and always sharpened his skills and tried his best to be the greatest F1 Driver in the world.
If are you hyped up and want to know more about F1 then, don’t forget to follow me on Medium by clicking here, so you would get a notification when I will upload my story.
So stay connected for upcoming installments of this series!! ;)
