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At 29, British born Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton's career achievements have already earned him a place in the record books. He has also received an Member of Order of the British Empire (MBE) from the Queen. Since his début for McLaren in 2007, Hamilton has set numerous records, won 1 championship and 26 races while clocking 14 fastest laps.
Winning Early
Hamilton knew he wanted a career in motor racing from an early age. He took up karting at 8 and was soon winning races and championships. After winning the British Championship for karting when he was 10, he met Ron Dennis, the McLaren F1 team manager, at the awards ceremony. Hamilton told Dennis he wanted to race for McLaren. Four years later, Dennis offered Hamilton a space on the McLaren driver development programme. Hamilton started moving up the ranks winning the British Formula Renault championship, the Formula 3 Euro Series and the GP2 championship in rapid succession.
He made his Formula 1 debut with Mclaren in 2007. His team mate was Fernando Alonso. Hamilton became the Formula 1 World Champion in 2008- a title he took from Alonso. After moving to the Mercedes AMG team, Hamilton finished 4th in 2013 driving the controversial F1 W04, designed by visionary engineering director Aldo Costa under Technical Director Bob Bell.
His Team
Drivers like Hamilton rely on a large support crew and significant organizational backing in order to win. Mechanical engineers, like Costa and Bell, who design the vehicles are just as important for the success of an F1 team as the driver. They work year round to squeeze every 10th of a second of performance out of the cars. Team bosses and managers are also needed to find investors and organize the logistics of a Formula 1 campaign. At Mercedes AMG, these roles are done by former driver Niki Lauda and mechanical engineering professionals Paddy Lowe and Andy Cowell.
Come race day, the pit crew are vital. For most spectators they are the most visible part of the drivers support team. The pit crew needs to work with the same efficiency as the high performance engine in the car to make sure no time is lost. Luckily for Hamilton, the 25 man Mercedes AMG pit crew holds the record for the fastest pit stop ever of 2.02 seconds.
With such a talented and professional team behind them, it's no wonder Hamilton and team mate Nico Rosberg have been taking the 2014 Formula One championship by storm. Wins in Malaysia, Bahrain, China and Barcelona have left Hamilton with 118 points and ranked 2nd to team mate Rosberg's 140 points in the standings. With 12 races left in the season, the crown is well within sight for this exceptional sportsman.
