Lewis Hamilton the youngest ever Formula 1 champion is a racing phenomena in his own right, complete with a myriad of different merchandise and sponsorship deals. In a Brazilian Grand Prix that will be remembered for its amazing levels of drama Hamilton took the championship crown after a last corner overtaking manoeuvre. But where has this young racing genius come from? Hopefully the following article will give an idea of his history and career thus far. Most commentators regard the rise of Lewis Hamilton as a fairytale. He is from a modest family who lived in Stevenage who were not blessed with huge financial comfort. Despite this, the young Lewis entered the world of karting at eight years old and thanks to his father taking numerous jobs he was able to turn this hobby into a prospective future career. A career that would be financially rewarding including multi-million pound sponsorship and merchandise deals. It was at the tender age of ten that Hamilton first met Ron Dennis, the McLaren team principal. From this early age Lewis was assured of his own talent and approached Dennis stating that 'one day I will race for you'. Hamilton's confidence was not misplaced; within three years Ron Dennis had returned to the world of karting and signed Lewis to the team's young driver programme. From this point onwards Hamilton was affiliated with McLaren Mercedes and subsequently all of the adjoined merchandise and sponsorship items. Before Formula 1 Lewis Hamilton had an impressive career in the go-kart championships, taking many series titles; the year after entering Formula Renault he won the championship and hence was quickly promoted to F3. Once again, in F3 the superb Hamilton won the championship after his rookie year. When the young Lewis had been promoted to GP2 he dispensed with the need for a learning year and won the title as a rookie. GP2 is the division down from Formula 1 and after this astonishing performance the young Brit was brought into the fastest and most advanced racing division. Within two years, he won this championship as well. The driving style of Lewis Hamilton is aggressive to say the least. He has not only supreme confidence in his own abilities but seems also to have the knack of finding gaps and overtaking opportunities where other drivers cannot. It was GP2 when the F1 racing paddock began to notice this young upstart, and as of this year no motor racing fan in the world will be unenlightened to this magnificent racer's style and obvious flair. Being such an exciting driver it is not surprising that so many merchandise producers and sponsors have courted Hamilton to sign lucrative deals. If reports are to be believed the extent of Hamilton's earning potential will eclipse every other British sports star up until this point, current estimates state that he will soon earn a billion dollars for his racing and merchandise affiliations. While some drivers in the F1 paddock have criticised Lewis Hamilton for his aggressive driving and will to win above all else, in reality these opinions are misguided. He is in fact a level headed young man, his win in Brazil this year was indicative of this, showing that even in the most high pressure situations Hamilton is able to hold it together and produce the result. If ex-racers are to be believed Lewis Hamilton could be the best racer of the current era, if the development team at McLaren can continue to put an excellent car underneath him, he will certainly experience further success in the years to come.
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