Lewis Hamilton: Girlfriend, Controversies & Net Worth
Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton, professionally known as Lewis Hamilton, is a British Racing Driver.
Previously driven for McLaren from 2007 to 2012, Hamilton currently represents Mercedes in Formula One.
In 1998, Lewis Hamilton signed McLaren’s young driver program, which eventually led to his first Formula One entry in 2007.
Lewis also holds the most wins of 98, pole positions of 100, and podium finishes of 171 in Formula One.
Similarly, Lewis has won a joint seven World Driver’s Championship Titles alongside Michael Schumacher.
In 2008, Hamilton also became the then-youngest Formula One Champion in the history of Formula One Racing.
Likewise, Lewis Hamilton is certainly regarded as one of the greatest racing drivers in the sport’s history.
He’s also one of the highest-paid F1 drivers globally, with a yearly salary of about $55 million.
Furthermore, he also became a prominent advocate of activism to fight racism and increase diversity in motorsports.
Quick Facts
Before we dive deep into his bio, here are some of the quick facts about Lewis Hamilton:
| Birth/Full Name | Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton |
| Professional Name | Lewis Hamilton |
| Nick Name | Billion Dollar Man |
| Education | The John Henry Newman Catholic School |
| Birth Date | January 7, 1985 |
| Birth Place | Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England |
| Religion | Christian |
| Ethnicity | Mixed |
| Nationality | British |
| Zodiac Sign | Capricorn |
| Father’s Name | Anthony Hamilton |
| Mother’s Name | Carmen Larbalestier |
| Siblings/Step-Siblings | Nicolas Hamilton, Samantha Lockhart, and Nicola Lockhart |
| Age | 39 |
| Gender | Male |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| Height | 1.75 m |
| Weight | 145 lbs |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Build | Athletic |
| Marital Status | Not Married |
| Relationship Status | Single |
| Ex-Girlfriend | Nicole Swazaneager |
| Profession | Racing Driver |
| Teams | Mercedes (current), McLaren(2007-2012) |
| Car Number | 44 |
| Entries | 275 |
| Podiums | 171 |
| Championships Won | 7 |
| Career Points | 3928 |
| Fastest Lap | 56 |
| Pole Positions | 100 |
| First Entry | 2007 Australian Grand Prix |
| Last Entry | 2021 Austrian Grand Prix |
| First Win | 2007 Canadian Grand Prix |
| Last Win | 2021 Spanish Grand Prix |
| Net Worth | $285 Million |
| Salary | $55 million per year |
| Active Years | 2007 – Present |
| Merch | Hat, Lewis Hamilton hand signed F1 COA, Biography |
| Website | Lewis Hamilton |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Merch | Hat, Monogram Turtleneck, Posters |
| Last Updated | April 2024 |
Lewis Hamilton: Early Life, Family, and Education
Hamilton was born to Anthony Hamilton and Carmen Larbalestier.
Although he’s of mixed-race, he has been identified as black.
After Hamilton’s parents separated, he lived with his mother and older half-sisters, Samantha and Nicola, until he was twelve.
Lewis then lived with his father, stepmother Linda, and his half-brother Nicolas, a professional racing driver.
Hamilton was a runner-up in the national BRCA championship at the age of six.
However, he was subjected to racist abuse, being the only black child racing in the club.
Lewis’s father promised to support his racing career and left his position as an IT manager to become a contractor.
Reportedly, his father even worked four jobs at a time while still attending his son’s races.
Later, Hamilton’s father set up his own IT company and continued to be Lewis’s manager until early 2010.
Hamilton was raised catholic. Hence he got his education from a voluntary aided Catholic secondary school called The John Henry Newman School in Stevenage.
Also, he studied Arts and Science in a private sixth-form college in Cambridge.
He also took karate class as a result of bullying at school.
Also, the racer got excluded from school for a period when he was mistakenly identified as a student who attacked a fellow student.
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Lewis Hamilton: Age, Weight, and Height
Formula One Racer was born on January 7, 1985. He is 39.
Moreover, he is very health conscious and maintains his health.
Similarly, Lewis is 5 ft 7 in (1.75 m) tall and weighs 66 kg (145 lbs).
Lewis Hamilton: Career
Junior Racing Career
Kart
Hamilton began his racing career at a very early age.
He began kart racing in 1993 and quickly began winning races and championships.
After two years, Lewis became the youngest driver to win the British Cadet Karting Championship at the age of ten.
Formula Renault and Formula Three
Similarly, following success in Kart racing, Hamilton was offered a position in the McClaren driver development program.
After his success and youthful experience in Kart racing, Hamilton took a step forward and began his car racing career in the 2001 British Formula Renault Winter series, finishing in fifth place.
Similarly, the following year, Lewis finished third overall.
Likewise, he debuted the 2004 Formula 3 Euro Series with Manor and finished fifth.
Furthermore, Hamilton raced in the Macau F3 Grand Prix twice, won Bahrain F3 Superprix, and Marlboro Masters of Formula 3 at Zandvoort.
GP2
After winning some major championships in F3, Hamilton moved to ASM’s sister GP2 team, ART Grand Prix, for the 2006 season.
Surprisingly, Lewis won the GP2 championship on his first attempt beating renowned and experienced drivers like Timo Glock and Nelson Piquet Jr.
Formula One Career
In 2007, Lewis made his first appearance in Formula One, representing McLaren and partnering with two-time and defending World Champion Fernando Alonso.
Hamilton was the first black and the only black as of 2021 to race in the F1 series.
After finishing as a runner-up on the podium in his debut, he set several records such as most consecutive podium finishes, most joint wins in a debut, and the most points in a debut season.
Following the success of his first season, Lewis later extended the contract with McLaren till 2012.
Likewise, in the 2008’s season, Hamilton won his first title, becoming the then-youngest Formula One Champion in history.
Hence, making Hamilton the first-ever British to win World Championship since Damon Hill in 1996.
Moreover, Hamilton won 21 Grand Prix before moving to Mercedes in 2013.
Following the move to Mercedes, Lewis has won five world championships, including his career’s first back-to-back titles win in 2014 and 2015.
And his second back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018, and again in 2019.
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Lewis Hamilton: Controversies
Being the most marketable and highest-paid F1 driver, he’s also one of the polarizing figures in the sports.
The three-time world champ has been subjected to various controversies both on and off-track.
Misleading the stewards in Australia
Hamilton’s first title defense back in 2009 started on a bitter note, as he was involved in controversy for what happened in the final laps.
After passing Jarno Trulli after his unfortunate slid off under the safety car to claim the third position, Lewis duly slowed on the following lap to let Trulli past to reclaim his third position, something McLaren had advised him to do.
Anyhow, when speaking to the press after the race, he said he didn’t receive any such instruction to let Trulli through, indicating the Italian had passed him illegally, which led to the demotion of Toyota driver to 12th.
However, the case was reopened at the next race in Malaysia, where Lewis, under the advice of the team manager Dave Ryan, insisted that he had not been told to let Trulli past.
Nevertheless, McLaren’s radio communication proved otherwise.
Later, Hamilton was disqualified from the race, Ryan was sacked, and McLaren was handed a three-race ban for being “deliberately misleading.”
License Suspended
Back when he was in his rookie season, Hamilton was pulled over by police in the north of France for traveling at 121 mph.
As police reported Hamilton being “cooperative and very polite,” he had his license suspended for a month.
“Hooning” in 2010
In Melbourne, Hamilton was pulled over for doing burnouts in his Mercedes-Benz AMG C63 as he left the circuit, which violated Victoria’s “anti-hoon” laws, and was fined $395.
Ali G joke
The season of 2011 is undoubtedly the unforgettable season of Hamilton’s career.
After his incident with Felipe Massa and Pastor Maldonado at Monaco on being inconsistent and driving a car with a magnetic attraction.
Moreover, it led to two different time penalties; Hamilton vented his anger about the stewards post-race.
However, he chose to express his anger clumsily, invoking the catchphrase of Ali G, the original spoof character of Borat creator Sascha Baron Cohen.
When asked why the stewards had called him, Hamilton laughed awkwardly and told the BBC, “Maybe it’s because I’m black, I don’t know. That’s what Ali G says.”
Furthermore, due to his clumsy reply, Hamilton was later called for another trip to stewards.
Although, he didn’t receive any further punishment.
Releasing Telemetry
Hamilton is recognized to be a keen social media advocate.
However, back in 2012, Belgian Grand Prix weekend, his tweet got him into big trouble.
The racer blamed his decision to use a different rear wing on his teammate, tweeting a picture of the telemetry comparing their lap times in an attempt to show that his rear wing was costing him too much time on the straights.
Although he soon took down the tweet, the telemetry revealed sensitive McLaren data, such as ride heights and braking and acceleration rates.
Spraying Grid Girls
It’s one of the silliest controversies Hamilton has been involved in, but one which still gains media attention and gets people talking.
After winning the 2015 Chinese Grand Prix, Hamilton sprayed his bottle of Champagne to all those around him on the podium, including Liu Siying, a grid girl standing to his right.
However, this action led to criticism from anti-sexism, even though Siyung later told local media she had no problem with Hamilton’s actions.
Likewise, Hamilton later said, “I would never intend to disrespect or try to embarrass someone like that.”
2015’s Monaco car crash
Before starting the 2015’s Brazilian Grand Prix, Hamilton crashed his Pagani Zonda into three parked cars.
However, alcohol was not the factor as Hamilton was tested negative, and a police officer said Hamilton’s “foot slipped on the brake and clutch pedals.”
Hamilton may have slid the incident off at the time, but the distracted world champion lost the next race to Nico Rosberg.
Motorbike Selfie
Before the 2016 Australian Grand Prix, the racer was investigated by New Zealand police for recording a video while riding a Harley Davidson.
The video was posted to his Snapchat and seemed to violate New Zealand law prohibiting using a mobile phone while driving.
Although due to lack of evidence, Hamilton escaped further action.
PETA Criticism
In 2016, Hamilton spent his summer visiting the Black Jaguar White Tiger Foundation in Mexico, posting pictures and videos of himself posing and playing with a white tiger.
However, the video grabbed the attention of an animal rights group called People for the Ethical Treatment Of Animals (PETA).
Further, the director Elisa Allen released a statement saying, “Seeing big cats used for photo ops promotes the idea that wild animals are here for human amusement and to do with as humans please, rather than to be left in peace in their habitat.”
Furthermore, she also stated that “Unless big cats are kept on tranquilizers, they’re quite capable of becoming annoyed with him and taking a chunk out of more than his cap.”
Snapchat to no chat
During the press conference ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, Hamilton posted photos of himself and Carlos Sainz on the Snapchat with the caption “This s— is killing me.”
However, without any further attention, the incident would have passed if Hamilton had not raised the subject again two days later.
After losing his pole position to Nico Rosberg by just 0.013s, Hamilton made a statement that the journalists, he felt, had been “disrespectful” in their criticism.
And said the racer would not be answering any questions before walking out.
Lewis Hamilton: Girlfriend, Wife, and Kids
It’s no big news that Lewis dated Nicole Scherzinger, the popular lead singer of the American girl band Pussycat Dolls, back in late 2007.
However, they broke up to focus on their career and were later spotted in the 2010 Turkish and Canadian Grands Prix before finally closing their chapter in 2015.
Similarly, after their separation, Hamilton was rumored to have dated Rihana, Rita Ora, model Winnie Harlow, and Sofia Richie.
Likewise, he also had a romantic link to Nicki Minaj and was spotted on a romantic vacation in Dubai.
However, Hamilton is reported to be single currently and has no children.
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Lewis Hamilton: Net Worth, Salary, and Career Earnings
Net Worth and Career Earnings
British Racing Driver has earned most of his wealth through his racing career.
Lewis Hamilton’s net worth is estimated to be $285 million.
Hamilton is one of the highest-paid F1 drivers globally, and normally he makes about $50 million a year.
Lewis made around $50 million from endorsement and prize money back in 2016 and 2017 and has been consistent since.
Lewis also launched his clothing line called TOMMYXLEWIS back in 2018 and has made quite the fortune from it.
It’s estimated that he earns anywhere from $5 – $10 million a year from his clothing line.
Furthermore, Hamilton owns a $25 million mansion in Kensington, West London.
Also, in 2019, Lewis listed his New York penthouse for $57 million, which he bought for $43.9 million in 2017.
Similarly, he also owns apartments in Geneva, Monaco, and Switzerland.
Car Collection
Likewise, Lewis also has a luxurious car collection consisting of Ferrari LaFerrari and Pagani Zonda 760 L, custom-made for Lewis Hamilton with a V12 engine and 720 horsepower.
Lewis also owns McLaren P1 with 903 horsepower costing $1.15 million and the 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra costing $1.5 million with the 427 horsepower.
He also owns the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupe Black Series with a V8 engine and 622 horsepower.
Likewise, he also has the 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 with 428 Cobra-Jet V8 engine and 355 horsepower.
Similarly, he also owns the Mercedes AMG G63, which has six wheels, two in front and four in back specially built for British Racing Driver.
Furthermore, he owns a custom-made sportbike MV Agusta LH edition 800RR.
Lastly, Hamilton also owns a 91.9-foot yacht called Sunseeker 90, which cost him about $3.8 million.
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Lewis Hamilton: Social Media Presence
The Racing Driver is quite active on multiple social media platforms. Hence, he has an Instagram account with 23 million followers.
Hamilton mostly shares his life as a professional racing driver on his social media.
Similarly, he also shares training videos and pictures.
Likewise, the racing driver also shows his luxurious car collections and luxurious lifestyle.
Furthermore, Lewis is also on Twitter with 6.4 million followers. He normally tweets about racing and Formula one related news, events, and highlights on his handle.
Likewise, the racer has a Facebook and a YouTube account.
Lewis Hamilton: FAQs
Is Lewis Hamilton the highest-paid F1 driver?
Yes, Hamilton is the current highest-paid F1 driver with a staggering salary of $55 million per annum and recently making $75 million in 2020.
What is Lewis Hamilton’s biggest achievement?
Hamilton’s biggest achievement is his record seven world titles shared with German driver Michael Schucancer.
