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Lewis Carl David Hamilton was born on 7 January 1985 in Stevenage, Hertfordshire to Carmen Larbalestier and Anthony Hamilton. His grandparents had emigrated from Grenada to the UK in the 1950s. His parents separated when he was two and he went to live with his mother and half-sisters. When Lewis was six his father bought his young son a radio-controlled car, then a go-kart. He told his that as long as he did well at school he’d support his son’s passion for racing. Hamilton attributes much of his success to his humble upbringing in Stevenage. Winning came naturally to the young driver and soon he was entered in national events. By the age of 10 – with a little less than two years’ experience – he was crowned the youngest-ever winner of the British Cadet Kart championship.
