The year he turned 10, he won the British cadet kart championship as its youngest winner. The year he turned 13, he joined McLaren’s driver development programme.
The year he turned 18, he won the UK Formula Renault Championship. The year he turned 20, he dominated European F3, BBC Sport reported. The year he turned 21, he won GP2 and in November was named McLaren’s driver for 2007.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 22, he finished third in his first F1 race in Melbourne and won the Canadian Grand Prix in June. He let a big lead slip over the last two races, and Kimi Raikkonen won the title.
The year he turned 23, he won the world championship by a single point in Brazil. The year he turned 24, McLaren signed Jenson Button to race alongside him. The year he turned 25, he won the Canadian Grand Prix in a McLaren one-two. The year he turned 26, he signed with XIX Entertainment. The year he turned 27, he agreed a three-year deal to leave McLaren for Mercedes.
The year he turned 29, he won his second world championship in Abu Dhabi. The year he turned 30, he won a third title in Austin, matching Ayrton Senna. The year he turned 31, he lost the title to team-mate Nico Rosberg in the Abu Dhabi finale. The year he turned 32, he clinched a fourth title in Mexico.
The year he turned 33, he won a fifth world championship. The year he turned 34, he clinched a sixth title in Austin. The year he turned 35, he won his 92nd race in October and a seventh world championship in November, and in December he was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year and named in the New Year Honours for a knighthood.
The year he turned 36, he took his 100th pole in May, launched the Mission 44 foundation in July and lost the title to Max Verstappen on the last lap in Abu Dhabi in December. The year he turned 37, Brazil’s lower house voted to make him an honorary citizen. The year he turned 38, he took pole in Hungary, his first since 2021. The year he turned 39, Ferrari announced he would join in 2025, and he won the British and Belgian Grands Prix before his last race for Mercedes.
The year he turned 40, he won the Chinese sprint race for Ferrari in the second race weekend of the season. The year he turned 41, he took his first Ferrari podium in March and his first Grand Prix win for Ferrari in June.
Lewis Hamilton (born Jan 7, 1985) made his F1 debut on Mar 18, 2007, the year he turned 22, finishing third in Melbourne, and became known that year. He won his first world championship on Nov 2, 2008, the year he turned 23, and his seventh on Nov 15, 2020, the year he turned 35.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Won the British cadet kart championship at 10, its youngest winner. At that year’s Autosport Awards he introduced himself to McLaren boss Ron Dennis, BBC Sport reported.
Source 01 · BBC Sport · Challenger, champion, change-maker: The real Lewis Hamilton story · opens in a new tab Year from BBC Sport (“That year, in 1995”); the day is not given.After his second British kart championship, Dennis signed him to McLaren’s driver development programme. BBC Sport reported in 2006 that he had been in it since 1998.
Source 01 · BBC Sport · Challenger, champion, change-maker: The real Lewis Hamilton story · opens in a new tabSource 02 · BBC Sport · Hamilton gets 2007 McLaren drive · opens in a new tab Year from BBC Sport (“since 1998”); the day is not given.Won the UK Formula Renault Championship, BBC Sport reported.
Source 01 · BBC Sport · Challenger, champion, change-maker: The real Lewis Hamilton story · opens in a new tab Year from BBC Sport; the day is not given.After finishing fourth in the F3 Euroseries in 2004, he dominated European F3 in 2005, BBC Sport reported.
Source 01 · BBC Sport · Challenger, champion, change-maker: The real Lewis Hamilton story · opens in a new tab Year from BBC Sport; the day is not given.Won the GP2 feeder series, the last category before F1. BBC Sport called him its reigning champion in November.
Source 02 · BBC Sport · Hamilton gets 2007 McLaren drive · opens in a new tab Year from BBC Sport (article dated 24 November 2006); the day is not given.McLaren announced the 21-year-old would race for the team in 2007, as the first black driver to race in F1.
Source 02 · BBC Sport · Hamilton gets 2007 McLaren drive · opens in a new tabFinished third in the Australian Grand Prix, then second in Malaysia and Bahrain, which The Guardian called a record run on the podium for a rookie. It also wrote that since his debut he had transformed the popularity of grand-prix racing.
Won in Montreal for his first F1 victory, BBC Sport reported.
Source 05 · BBC Sport · Canadian Grand Prix as it happened · opens in a new tabMissed the drivers’ title in his debut season. BBC Sport later wrote that he had let a big lead slip over the final two races and Raikkonen won it.
Source 06 · BBC Sport · Last-gasp Hamilton takes F1 crown · opens in a new tabSource 36 · Wikipedia · Lewis Hamilton · opens in a new tab Date of the Brazilian Grand Prix from Wikipedia; not confirmed in news reports.Finished fifth in Brazil and won the title by a single point at 23, the youngest world champion in F1 history, BBC Sport reported.
Source 06 · BBC Sport · Last-gasp Hamilton takes F1 crown · opens in a new tabSource 07 · BBC Sport · Ecstatic Hamilton revels in glory · opens in a new tabWon in Montreal ahead of team-mate Button, with Alonso third, and moved to the top of the drivers’ championship.
Source 09 · The Guardian · Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button storm to Canadian grand prix one-two · opens in a new tab The race was on Sunday; The Guardian’s report is dated 14 June 2010.Signed with Simon Fuller’s talent management company, whose clients include David Beckham and Andy Murray.
Source 10 · The Guardian · Lewis Hamilton signs with Simon Fuller’s XIX Entertainment · opens in a new tabSigned a three-year deal to race for Mercedes from 2013, at 27.
Source 11 · BBC Sport · Lewis Hamilton to leave McLaren after signing Mercedes contract · opens in a new tabWon the season finale and the drivers’ title, becoming the fourth Briton to win two. Team-mate and title rival Nico Rosberg finished 14th.
Source 12 · BBC Sport · Lewis Hamilton wins 2014 world championship in Abu Dhabi · opens in a new tabMatched Ayrton Senna’s three titles and said it was the most important win of his career, BBC Sport reported.
Source 13 · BBC Sport · Lewis Hamilton: Matching Senna’s three world titles “humbling” · opens in a new tabMercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg won his first world title by finishing second in the final race in Abu Dhabi, beating Hamilton in the standings.
Source 14 · BBC Sport · Nico Rosberg announces retirement from Formula 1 · opens in a new tab Race day from BBC Sport’s “on Sunday” in an article dated 2 December 2016.Clinched the title despite finishing ninth after a first-lap clash with Sebastian Vettel, joining Vettel and Alain Prost on four.
Source 15 · BBC Sport · Lewis Hamilton wins fourth world title at Mexican Grand Prix · opens in a new tabAt 33, became the third man in F1 history to win five world titles.
Source 16 · BBC Sport · Lewis Hamilton equals Juan Manuel Fangio with fifth F1 title · opens in a new tabClinched the title at the United States Grand Prix, won by team-mate Valtteri Bottas, and joined Michael Schumacher as one of two drivers with six.
Source 17 · Formula 1 · Hamilton crowned F1 world champion for sixth time as Bottas wins in Austin · opens in a new tabWon the Portuguese Grand Prix at Portimão for his 92nd F1 victory.
Source 18 · The Guardian · Lewis Hamilton wins Portuguese GP to break Michael Schumacher’s F1 record · opens in a new tabWon the Turkish Grand Prix at Istanbul Park, his 94th victory, and equalled Michael Schumacher’s seven titles at 35.
Source 19 · BBC Sport · Lewis Hamilton wins seventh Formula 1 title – equalling Michael Schumacher · opens in a new tabVoted BBC Sports Personality of the Year, his second win of the award after 2014.
Source 20 · BBC Sport · Sports Personality of the Year 2020: Lewis Hamilton crowned winner · opens in a new tabWas knighted in the Queen’s New Year Honours list.
Source 21 · BBC Sport · New Year Honours: Lewis Hamilton knighted · opens in a new tabTook pole for the Spanish Grand Prix ahead of Max Verstappen, the first F1 driver to reach 100.
Source 22 · The Guardian · Lewis Hamilton claims 100th F1 pole at Spanish GP · opens in a new tabLaunched Mission 44, a charitable foundation supporting young people from underrepresented groups in the UK, with a personal £20 million pledge.
Source 23 · Voice Online · Sir Lewis Hamilton pledges £20 million through Mission 44 · opens in a new tab Date from the article address; the article text does not repeat it.Verstappen passed Hamilton on the final lap of the season finale and took the title. Stewards rejected two Mercedes protests, and on 16 December Mercedes said it would not pursue an appeal.
Source 24 · BBC Sport · Max Verstappen wins title after last-lap overtake of Lewis Hamilton · opens in a new tabSource 25 · BBC Sport · Mercedes will not pursue appeal against F1 title-deciding Abu Dhabi result · opens in a new tabThe lower house of Brazil’s parliament passed a bill making him an honorary citizen, and Hamilton said he was speechless, Reuters reported.
Source 26 · Reuters · Hamilton “speechless” at honorary Brazilian citizenship · opens in a new tabBeat Verstappen to pole by 0.003 seconds on the final lap, his first pole since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Source 27 · BBC Sport · Hamilton beats Verstappen to first pole since 2021 · opens in a new tab Qualifying was the day before the Sunday 23 July race named in BBC Sport’s report.Ferrari said Hamilton would join the team in 2025 on a multi-year contract.
Source 28 · Scuderia Ferrari · Team statement · opens in a new tabWon at Silverstone two years, seven months and two days after his previous victory, and set the record for wins at a single track, BBC Sport reported.
Source 29 · BBC Sport · Lewis Hamilton wins British Grand Prix and says he thought it was never going to happen again · opens in a new tabGeorge Russell was first across the line but was disqualified when his car weighed 796.5 kg after the race, so Hamilton was declared the winner.
Source 30 · Formula 1 · Russell disqualified from Belgian Grand Prix as Hamilton is promoted to winner · opens in a new tabFinished fourth in Abu Dhabi after starting 16th, ending 12 years with Mercedes at 39.
Source 31 · BBC Sport · Lewis Hamilton says he “finished on a high” at Mercedes after 12 years together · opens in a new tabWon Saturday’s sprint race in Shanghai for eight points, in the second race weekend of the 2025 season. The next day his car was disqualified from the Grand Prix after its skid block was found below the minimum thickness.
Source 32 · The Independent · Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc disqualified from Chinese GP · opens in a new tabFinished third in the Chinese Grand Prix, won by Kimi Antonelli, after a fight with team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Source 33 · The Guardian · Kimi Antonelli wins F1 Chinese GP from pole as Lewis Hamilton claims first Ferrari podium · opens in a new tabWon his first Grand Prix for Ferrari at 41, his first win in nearly two years, Formula 1 reported.
Source 34 · Formula 1 · Hamilton claims maiden Grand Prix victory for Ferrari in Barcelona · opens in a new tabRetired with a brake-pedal issue at the new Madring circuit. He was third in the standings, 101 points behind Antonelli, Sky Sports reported.
Source 35 · Sky Sports · Lewis Hamilton says there’s no stopping Kimi Antonelli · opens in a new tab Race day from Sky Sports’ “Sunday’s race” in an article dated 14 September 2026.END OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 1995–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
What did they do, and at what age?
AgeTrail lines up the key moments of a life by age.
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Sports · United Kingdom
Jan 7, 1985 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1985: the year of the event minus 1985, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.09.30 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.