Lewis Hamilton: Difference between revisions
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Hamilton gained the first [[pole position]] of his F1 career in the [[2007 Canadian Grand Prix]]. In doing so, he became the third youngest driver to claim pole position in a World Championship race. On race day, Hamilton led, with the exception of a few laps around his first pit stop, from start to finish, despite having his lead cut on the four occasions the safety car was deployed. In gaining his first Grand Prix victory in his sixth race, Hamilton became the first driver since [[Juan Pablo Montoya]] in 2001 to win a race in his rookie season. The win strengthened his championship challenge and put him eight points clear of Alonso.<ref>{{cite news| title =Canadian Grand Prix | publisher =BBC Sport| url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/6739373.stm| date =[[2007-06-10]]| accessdate =2007-06-11}}</ref> |
Hamilton gained the first [[pole position]] of his F1 career in the [[2007 Canadian Grand Prix]]. In doing so, he became the third youngest driver to claim pole position in a World Championship race. On race day, Hamilton led, with the exception of a few laps around his first pit stop, from start to finish, despite having his lead cut on the four occasions the safety car was deployed. In gaining his first Grand Prix victory in his sixth race, Hamilton became the first driver since [[Juan Pablo Montoya]] in 2001 to win a race in his rookie season. The win strengthened his championship challenge and put him eight points clear of Alonso.<ref>{{cite news| title =Canadian Grand Prix | publisher =BBC Sport| url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/6739373.stm| date =[[2007-06-10]]| accessdate =2007-06-11}}</ref> |
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But behind this early success, there are people around the F1 that are starting to accuse him of copying two-time champion Fernando Alonso's telemetry.{{cn}} |
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==Racing record== |
==Racing record== |
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Revision as of 20:39, 16 June 2007
Template:F1 driver Lewis Carl Hamilton (born January 7 1985 in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England) is an English Formula One (F1) driver for the McLaren Mercedes team.
In his debut year Hamilton has set three Formula One records in quick succession. At the 2007 Bahrain Grand Prix, he became the first F1 driver to finish in the top three in his first three F1 championship races.[1] After he finished second at the 2007 Spanish Grand Prix, he became the youngest driver ever to lead the drivers' championship.[2][3] Hamilton gained his first victory at the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix on June 10, 2007, the fourth youngest to do so. In gaining his first Grand Prix victory in his sixth race, Hamilton became the first driver since Juan Pablo Montoya in 2001 to win a race in his first Formula One season.
Personal and early life
Hamilton's paternal grandparents emigrated to the United Kingdom from Grenada in the 1950s. His grandfather worked on the London Underground.[4] His mother Carmen, and father Anthony (who is now an IT consultant), named Lewis after the US Olympic gold medal winning athlete Carl Lewis.[5] They separated when Lewis was two. Until he was ten Lewis lived with his mother; after that he lived with his father, step-mother and half-brother[6] Nicholas who suffers from cerebral palsy. At six, he began his racing career when Anthony bought Lewis his first go-kart. He held down three jobs to support Lewis' career and still found enough time to attend all of Lewis' races.[6] When he was nine, Lewis approached McLaren F1 team boss Ron Dennis and told him, "I'm going to race for you one day...I'm going to race for McLaren", and at the age of eleven he was signed to McLaren's development programme,[6] whilst still attending The John Henry Newman School. In early 2007, Hamilton moved from Tewin Wood in Hertfordshire to Woking in Surrey to be closer to the McLaren factory.
Racing career
Pre-Formula One
Karting
Hamilton began karting in 1993 at the age of eight,[7] and quickly began winning races and championships.
He progressed through the Cadet (1993-6), Junior Yamaha (1997), Junior Intercontinental A (1998-9), Intercontinental A (1999), Formula A (2000) and Formula Super A (2001) ranks in seven seasons, becoming European Champion in 2000 with maximum points. In Formula A and Formula Super A, racing for TeamMBM.com, his team mate was current Williams driver Nico Rosberg.
Following his karting successes, the British Racing Drivers' Club made him a ‘Rising Star’ Member in 2000.[7]
Junior Formulas
"He's a quality driver, very strong and only 16. If he keeps this up I'm sure he will reach F1. It's something special to see a kid of his age out on the circuit. He's clearly got the right racing mentality."
Michael Schumacher, speaking about Hamilton in 2001.[8]
Hamilton began his car racing career in the 2001 British Formula Renault Winter Series, finishing fifth overall.[7] This led to a full 2002 Formula Renault UK campaign with Manor Motorsport. Hamilton finished third overall with three wins and three pole positions.[7] He remained with Manor for another year and won the championship convincingly with ten wins, beating Alex Lloyd with 419 points to 377.[7] But his début appearance in British Formula Three was less successful – Hamilton crashed out of both races at the Brands Hatch season finale, being taken to hospital after the second.[7] He did show his speed at both the Macau and Korean Grand Prix. In the latter he qualified on pole position in his first visit to the Korean track and in only his fourth race outing in a F3 car.
Hamilton and Manor then made their debut in the 2004 Formula Three Euroseries. They won just one race and Hamilton was fifth in the championship. He also won the Bahrain F3 Superprix, race one of the Macau F3 Grand Prix, and had his first test in a McLaren F1 car in December[7] that year. He defected to reigning Euroseries champions ASM for the 2005 season and dominated the championship, winning 15 of the 20 rounds. He also won the Ultimate Masters of Formula 3 at Zandvoort.[7]
After the season, British magazine Autosport featured him in their “Top 50 Drivers of 2005” issue, ranking Hamilton 24th.[7] After Hamilton's success in Formula Three, he was signed by ART Grand Prix for the 2006 GP2 Series season. Like ASM in F3, ART were the class of the field and reigning champions having taken the 2005 GP2 crown with Nico Rosberg.[7] Despite stiff opposition from rivals who had raced in the GP2 series during 2005, such as team mate Alexandre Prémat and Nelson Angelo Piquet, Lewis won the GP2 championship at his first attempt. Among his notable performances was a dominant win at the fifth round held at the Nürburgring, despite serving a penalty for speeding in the pit lane.[7]
At his home race at Silverstone, supporting the British Grand Prix, he impressed again by overtaking two rivals at Becketts, a series of high-speed (up to 150 mph in a GP2 car) bends where overtaking is rare. He demonstrated his overtaking prowess again at the race in Istanbul, when he recovered from a spin that left him 18th, to take second place in the final corners. He became GP2 champion in unusual circumstances. Giorgio Pantano won the penultimate race at Monza, and set the fastest lap on the final lap, initially taking this bonus point from Hamilton. However, it transpired that he had set this under a yellow flag, indicating to the officials that he had not slowed enough to avoid potential danger, leading to him losing the fastest lap, which therefore gave Hamilton the single point he needed to clinch the title.[7]
Formula One
Hamilton introduced himself to McLaren team boss Ron Dennis at the 1994 Autosport Awards,[7] asking if he could drive for the team in the future.
In 1998 he was signed to the McLaren driver development support programme, the contract including a future option of an F1 seat, making 13-year-old Hamilton the youngest ever driver to secure an F1 contract.[7]
His 2006 GP2 championship coincided with a vacancy at McLaren following the departure of Juan Pablo Montoya to NASCAR and Kimi Räikkönen to Ferrari.[7]
After months of speculation on whether Lewis, Pedro de la Rosa, Gary Paffett or even former World Champion Mika Häkkinen would drive for McLaren alongside defending champion Fernando Alonso for the 2007 Formula One season, Lewis was confirmed as the team's second driver to the amazement of many F1 insiders who considered that the more experienced Gary Paffett was more qualified for a race seat.[9] He was told of McLaren’s decision on September 30, but the news was not made public until November 24, for fear that it would be overshadowed by Michael Schumacher’s retirement announcement.[7]
Hamilton is the first black driver of African or Afro-Caribbean ancestry to compete in F1,[10] although Willy T. Ribbs tested an F1 car over 20 years previously.[11] Hamilton started testing for McLaren in Spain in November 2006, and was occasionally quicker than Pedro de la Rosa and the rest of the field.
On his début at the 2007 Australian Grand Prix, he qualified fourth on the grid and finished third in the race, the thirteenth driver to finish on the podium on his GP début[12] (excluding those in the first ever World Championship round), the last being 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve 11 years earlier. At the Bahrain GP, Hamilton got his first front-row start qualifying second to the Ferrari driver Felipe Massa, who won the race comfortably. Hamilton also finished second in the Spanish Grand Prix, again behind a dominant Massa, to take the lead in the drivers championship.[13] With that achievement, Hamilton surpassed Bruce McLaren to become the youngest driver to ever lead the world championship.[14]
After his record-breaking start, Hamilton was widely praised by the British media and Frank Williams describing him as "superhuman". Triple world champions Jackie Stewart and Niki Lauda have speculated that he could win the 2007 championship. Ex-Jordan owner Eddie Jordan, however, disagrees and believes that Lewis Hamilton will not win the championship. McLaren CEO Martin Whitmarsh has said that he has the potential to become the greatest F1 driver ever.[15] Former seven time world champion Michael Schumacher said that he knew he had the potential he has but what surprised him is the consistency he is showing so early in his career.[16]
Hamilton suffered his first public criticism of his F1 career when, in the run-up to the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix, former driver and 1997 champion Jacques Villeneuve accused him of "chopping" at the start of Grands Prix and comparing his starts to the ones made by seven time World Champion Michael Schumacher. In an interview with Autosport's website, Villeneuve asked "When will these chopping moves stop?" and that Hamilton "makes progressive moves that would have got some of the other drivers black-flagged." [17] However, Hamilton's driving was soon defended by his fellow drivers, Italian Giancarlo Fisichella commented that Villeneuve "says quite a lot of things in the media right now," referring to the Canadian's comments in 2006 about Schumacher being remembered for his controversial driving style rather than his driving talents, Fisichella also added that Villeneuve "talks too much."[18] Other drivers to defend Hamilton included Alexander Wurz, Nick Heidfeld, Mark Webber and Felipe Massa.[18][19]
Controversy surrounded Hamilton's finishing position in the 2007 Monaco Grand Prix. After comments made by Hamilton post-race which suggested he had been forced into a supporting role, the FIA initiated an inquiry to determine whether McLaren had broken rules by enforcing team orders. McLaren denied favouring double world champion Fernando Alonso, and the FIA subsequently vindicated the team, stating that: "McLaren were able to pursue an optimum team strategy because they had a substantial advantage over all other cars. They did nothing which could be described as interfering with the race result."[20]
Hamilton gained the first pole position of his F1 career in the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix. In doing so, he became the third youngest driver to claim pole position in a World Championship race. On race day, Hamilton led, with the exception of a few laps around his first pit stop, from start to finish, despite having his lead cut on the four occasions the safety car was deployed. In gaining his first Grand Prix victory in his sixth race, Hamilton became the first driver since Juan Pablo Montoya in 2001 to win a race in his rookie season. The win strengthened his championship challenge and put him eight points clear of Alonso.[21]
Racing record
| Season | Series | Team Name | No. | Races | Poles | Wins | Pts | Final Placing |
| 2000 | World Formula A Championship | TeamMBM.com (CRG/Parilla) | 1 | 0 | n/a | DNF | ||
| 2000 | European Formula A Championship | TeamMBM.com (CRG/Parilla) | 8 | 5 | 75 | 1st | ||
| 2000 | Formula A World Cup | TeamMBM.com (CRG/Parilla) | 1 | 1 | n/a | 1st | ||
| 2001 | Formula Super A World Championship | TeamMBM.com (Parolin/Parilla) | 15 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 15th |
| 2002 | Formula Renault UK | Manor Motorsport | 25 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 274 | 3rd |
| 2003 | Formula Renault UK | Manor Motorsport | 3 | 15 | 11 | 10 | 419 | 1st |
| 2004 | Formula 3 Euroseries | Manor Motorsport | 35 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 69 | 5th |
| 2005 | Formula 3 Euroseries | ASM F3 | 6 | 20 | 11 | 15 | 172 | 1st |
| 2006 | GP2 Series | ART Grand Prix | 2 | 21 | 1 | 5 | 114 | 1st |
| 2007 | Formula One | Vodafone McLaren Mercedes | 2 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 48 | 1st * |
- No. = Car Number; * = Season Not Yet Finished
Complete Formula One results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Vodafone McLaren Mercedes |
McLaren MP4-22 | Mercedes FO 108T 2.4 V8 | AUS 3 |
MAL 2 |
BHR 2 |
ESP 2 |
MON 2 |
CAN 1 |
USA |
FRA |
GBR |
EUR |
HUN |
TUR |
ITA |
BEL |
JPN |
CHN |
BRA |
1st* | 48* |
*Season in progress.
References
- ^ "Bahrain Conclusions". planet-f1. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
- ^ "F1 Prodigy". carsales.com.au. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
- ^ The previous record was set by Bruce McLaren in 1960
- ^ "Grenadian roots of first black F1 driver". BBC. 2006-11-27. Retrieved 2006-12-12.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Sourced from ITV's 2007 Bahrain Grand Prix commentary
- ^ a b c Zoo: Issue 162, 30 March-4 April 2007
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Who's Who: Lewis Hamilton". F1Fanatic.co.uk. 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-02.[unreliable source?]
- ^ "Schumacher Tips Hamilton for Future Glory". AtlasF1.
- ^ "Lewis Hamilton joins Formula 1 World Champion Fernando Alonso at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes". mclaren.com. 2006-11-24. Retrieved 2006-11-24.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ David Tremayne (2006-11-25). "Hamilton's F1 drive is a dream come true". The Independent. Retrieved 2006-11-25.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "First black Formula One driver..." F1Fanatic.co.uk. 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-02.
- ^ "Hamilton makes history". F1Fanatic.co.uk. 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-22.
- ^ "Massa holds off battling Hamilton". BBC Sport. 2007.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Race notes: Spanish GP". Daily F1 News. 2007.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "F1 praise 'superhuman' Hamilton". wheels24.co.za. 2007-04-18. Retrieved 2007-04-18.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Michael Schumacher on Lewis Hamilton (Youtube). Sky News. 2007-04-23. Retrieved 2007-06-12.
- ^ "Hamilton criticised by Villeneuve". Autosport.com. 2007-06-06. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "Rivals defend Hamilton's driving". Autosport.com. 2007-06-07. Retrieved 2007-06-08.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Hamilton shrugs off Villeneuve's comments". Autosport.com. 2007-06-07. Retrieved 2007-06-08.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "FIA McLaren-Monaco Full statement". Formula1.com. 2007-05-30. Retrieved 2007-06-05.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Canadian Grand Prix". BBC Sport. 2007-06-10. Retrieved 2007-06-11.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)
External links
- LewisHamilton.com -Official Web Site
- Career details
- Lewis Hamilton Biography - McLaren.com
- In-depth interview from The Observer's Sport Monthly magazine
