Lewis Hamilton: Of Childhood Dreams and Encore of F1 Glory
Those who have known Lewis Hamilton since his childhood are hardly surprised by his star status in Formula One circuits. Defined by his determination since early days, the two-time F1 champion is truly the toast of racing that he always dreamt to be.
In December of 1995, a ten-year-old boy approached then McLaren boss Ron Dennis and told him he wanted to race for him one day.
On Sunday (November 24, 2014), Lewis Hamilton showed once again why he meant his words. The 29-year-old British driver joined the elite ranks of double Formula One world champions when he raced his Mercedes to a win at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Hamilton, who took his first title with McLaren in 2008, became Britain's first multiple champion since Jackie Stewart in 1971 and only the country's fourth. "World champion. Oh my God, I can't believe it, thanks everyone," he had shouted over the radio before parking up and embracing his father, pop star girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger and family. For those who have always supported him, the moment was even bigger because they knew Hamilton's struggle has been tough.
Born to a black father and a white mother, Hamilton is often referred to as the first black F1 driver. On the track however, he has always known that respect is always reserved for the fastest - irrespective of backgrounds and cultural heritages. And so, he had a dream since his father gifted him a battery operated car at the age of six - a dream that took him through the circuits of karting, Formula Renault, Formula Three, GP 2 and straight into Formula One.
Early racing years
The journey though was one of determination and single-minded focus on being fast. In 1993 - at the age of eight - Hamilton made his karting debut and won several titles. While he approached Dennis two years later, it was the McLaren boss who called him back in 1998 and signed him to the McLaren driver development program. It was just the platform that a young Hamilton needed to mould his skills and emerge as a professional auto racer.
Through his adolescent years, Hamilton kept racing in whatever machine he could get. Interestingly, in 2001, legendary racer Michael Schumacher raced with him and others in a karting event. While this boosted Hamilton's confidence immensely, it was his father's support throughout that propelled him forward. In fact, Anthony Hamilton was his manager till March 2010.
With each passing year, Hamilton grew from strength to strength and in 2001, he made his debut in the British Formula Renault Winter Series. A fifth-place finish earned him a place in 2002 Formula Renault UK event and Hamilton finished third. The talented driver then made his debut in the season finale of British Formula Three and in 2006, made his maiden appearance in GP2.
Tale of Formula One racing
In 2007, F1 team McLaren announced that they had signed Hamilton who would partner defending double World Champion Fernando Alonso in the upcoming season. There may have been a few skeptics but they were soon cornered when Hamilton became only the 13th driver to finish on the podium in his debut F1 race. He had finished third in the Australian Grand Prix - an early sign of bigger things to come.
In the following races - in Bahrain and Barcelona, Hamilton finished second to emerge as the youngest-ever driver to lead in the world championship. Canada though was to be the Grand Prix where Hamilton would truly stamp his class as he raced past Nick Heidfeld to win an F1 race for the first time. A nightmarish final race - in Brazil - eventually saw him finish his debut season second despite having the same number of points as teammate Alonso.
What he couldn't in 2007, Hamilton did in 2008. Despite being racially heckled by fans of Alonso in Spain, the racer won the championship to show what a true champion truly is. At the time, he was also the youngest driver to have won the championship.
The next few years though were not too kind to Hamilton has he finished 5th, 4th, 5th, 4th and 4th in the 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 seasons. This despite switching to Team Mercedes last year.
2014 - The Year of an Encore
New F1 rules allowed drivers to pick car numbers of their choice. Hamilton chose 44 - the number he used during his karting days.
Call it luck or renewed will to win, Hamilton's fortunes changed and dramatically at that.
© AFP
Forced to retire from the first race of the season despite securing pole, Hamilton zoomed back in style when he won the Malaysian Grand Prix. Teammate Nico Rosberg finished second and it was to be the start of a duel that would last through the year. The battles continued onto Bahrain, China, Spain, Monaco and other tracks with either Hamilton or Rosberg or both on the podium.
Such was the intensity of the two Mercedes drivers that the title was finally decided in the last race of the season. While Hamilton qualified second, he overtook Rosberg within seconds after the start to finish the race as the winner and emerge as the hero for the second time in his career. Furious words were exchanged between Hamilton and Rosberg through the season but in the end, the childhood friends made up with a gracious embrace in the paddocks.
From racing battery-operated cars to break-necks speeds in the F1 cars, Hamilton's journey is what fairytales are all about. And yet, this fairytale has had sweat, blood and sheer grit of a man who never stopped trying. Indeed, Hamilton's pursuit for F1 excellence has once again rewarded him with the crown that celebrates the bond between man and machine.
Interesting facts about Lewis Hamilton:
* Lewis's parents separate when he was two. He lived with his mother and step sisters till 12 and then moved in with his father and step mother.
* Bullied in school, Lewis took Karate lessons to defend himself.
* An avid Arsenal fan, Lewis has said he would have been a footballer if F1 won't have happened in his life.
* Lewis played cricket for his school team and also considered a career in the sport.
* Has been dating pop star Nicole Scherzinger since 2007. The two parted ways in the middle due to busy professional lives but got back once again.
* Has recorded a song with rapper Angel but the number is not in public domain. Lewis was quoted by media agencies as saying 'it was for fun only.'
* A devout Cristian, Lewis wears a cross during all his races.
* A vocal person, Lewis has had several controversies which range from tiffs with McLaren team to Mercedes teammate Rosberg.
* Known to follow a strict regime which sees him wake at 6am, run and hit the gym for two hours.
* Has expressed a desire to shift base from UK to Switzerland to avoid media glare.
* Lent his voice in a cameo role in the animated movie - Cars 2.