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Home , 2006 GP2 Series, ART Grand Prix, Autosport Awards, Lewis Hamilton

LEWIS HAMILTON

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Driver

Nationality British Born , U.K Height 1.74m D.O.B 07.01.85 Resident Switzerland Hobbies Playing the guitar and training

“ExxonMobil’s supreme expertise in lubricants make a crucial difference to performance when you’re racing at 340km/h: they can make the difference between winning and merely competing.”

Lewis Hamilton has been winning races ever since he was big enough to reach the pedals.

He won his first British Karting Championship at the age of 10, and famously introduced himself to McLaren Group CEO at the annual , proclaiming, “I’m going to drive for you one day.”

Easy words to say, but Lewis proved his determination by crushing all opposition on his way to the European title, and with support from McLaren-Mercedes he entered car racing, graduating to the Formula Winter Series in 2001. The wins kept coming: 2003 he took the British title, then, in 2005 he won 15 out of 20 races in the F3 EuroSeries.

After winning the GP2 championship in 2006, Lewis was finally ready to make good on his promise from all those years ago, and at the 2007 , he made his Grand Prix debut, driving for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes.

F1 highlights: 75 GPs, 15 wins, 18 pole positions, 555 points, 2008 world champion (as from 16/05/11)

GRAND PRIX RACING RECORD

2011 Vodafone McLaren Mercedes: Driver, car #3

2010 Vodafone McLaren Mercedes: 240 points, fourth overall in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship. Victories in Canada, and Belgium

2009 Vodafone McLaren Mercedes: 49 points, fifth overall. Victories in and Singapore. Four pole positions

2008 Vodafone McLaren Mercedes: FIA Formula 1 World Drivers' Champion, 98 points. Victories in Australia, , Great Britain, and China

2007 Vodafone McLaren Mercedes: 109 points, second overall. Victories in Canada, the United States, Hungary and Japan

COMPETITION HISTORY

2006 GP2 Series: Champion with ART Grand Prix; five wins; six fastest laps; first double win at the Nürburgring; and winner of Monaco GP2 race; second double win at Silverstone in home race; seven second place and two third place podiums

2005 F3 EuroSeries: Champion with ASM F3 -Mercedes; 15 wins; 10 fastest laps; 13 pole positions; secured championship with four races remaining; winner of F3 Masters at Zandvoort, including pole position and lap record; winner of the Monaco F3 Grand Prix, including two pole positions and two race wins and one ; winner of Pau F3 Grand Prix in ; two pole positions, two race wins and two fastest laps

2004 F3 Euroseries: Fifth; one win and third place at the and the Nürburgring; winner of Bahrain F3 Superprix

2003 British Formula Renault: Champion; 10 wins; nine fastest laps and 11 pole positions; Champion before final two rounds

2002 British Formula Renault: Third; three wins; three fastest laps; three pole positions; Championship fifth; one win, three podiums; competed in four out of nine rounds

2001 British Formula Renault Winter Series: Fifth overall.

2000 Formula A: European Champion; winner of all four rounds; World Cup Champion; awarded Karting World 1; winner of Masters at Bercy; founder member of BRDC “Rising Star” membership

1999 Intercontinental A (ICA): Italian "Industrials" Champion, Junior ICA (JICA): Vice European Champion; winner Trophy de Pomposa, fourth Italian Open Championship

1998 Junior ICA (JICA): Second in McLaren Mercedes Champions of the Future series; fourth in Italian Open Championship; signed by McLaren and Mercedes-Benz to Young Driver Support Programme

1997 Junior Yamaha: Super One British Champion; winner of McLaren Mercedes Champions of the Future series

1996 Cadet Class: Winner of McLaren Mercedes Champions of the Future series; Sky TV Kart Masters Champion; Five Nations Champion

1995 Cadet Class: Super One British Champion; STP Champion