Lewis Hamilton would not be the guy he is today without his family’s continuous support.
Lewis Hamilton is without a doubt one of the greatest British athletic exports, with the 38-year-old widely regarded as the greatest F1 driver of all time. He would not be the guy he is now without the impact of his family, who have tirelessly backed him in his pursuit of greatness throughout the years.
Express Sport has a look at Hamilton’s family biography, from humble beginnings in Stevenage to a terrible feud with his own father…
Having two mothers
Carmen Larbalestier, Hamilton’s biological mother, was born in 1955 and gave birth to him 30 years later. She has been seen supporting her son at various Grand Prix weekends and accompanied him to Windsor Castle when he was knighted in late 2021.
Carmen reared the Mercedes driver and his half-sisters Nicola and Samantha after obtaining custody of him when he was 12 years old. Last year, he stated that he was altering his name to incorporate his mother’s surname, adding, “I don’t fully understand the idea that when people get married, the woman loses her name.” “I really want my mother to carry on the Hamilton name.”
Linda, Hamilton’s stepmother, raised him after he moved in with her and his father when he was 12 years old. She has also been spotted in the paddock and famously hugged him after winning the Chinese Grand Prix with Carmen in 2008, just weeks before claiming his first world title.
Sacking his own dad
Hamilton’s father, Anthony, was a significant player in his early career and was claimed to have worked four jobs at the same time to fund the costs of karting. After his son made it to F1, he went on to manage him and oversaw his first world victory in 2008, but everything changed when they split up two years later.
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It came as a surprise when Hamilton said that his father would no longer be involved in the administration of his racing career. Their personal connection cooled as a result of the breakup, but they have since patched things up and have been frequently photographed together during recent Grand Prix weekends.
Hamilton later discussed his choice to divorce his father with the On Purpose podcast, saying, “Me and my dad bumped heads at one point.” I just wanted him to be my father. Let’s go have some fun and laugh. We hadn’t had that in a long time. I decided to split up with my father in order to make my own decisions. There was a time when we didn’t say much.”
Growing up in ‘slums’
Hamilton spent his childhood in Stevenage, where he attended a local Catholic school and played football with future England star Ashley Young. He grew up on Peartree Way and Woodfield Road before moving to Switzerland in 2007, citing seclusion as the reason for the move.
The Brit then incurred the fury of Stevenage residents when he claimed at the Sports Personality of the Year awards in 2018: “It’s been a really long journey, a dream for us all, as a family, to do something different, to get out of the slums.”
Locals were outraged, with Stevenage Borough Council leader Sharon Taylor declaring at the time, “It is disappointing that Lewis Hamilton referred to Stevenage as ‘the slums’ at such a high-profile event.” He plainly realized what he had said and attempted to remedy it, but our town’s residents, many of whom like and support him, were deeply insulted.”
Hamilton then apologized publicly on Instagram, saying, “I definitely make mistakes quite often, especially when you’re up in front of a crowd trying to find the right words to express the long journey that you’ve had in life.” I used the wrong words, but I didn’t mean them, and those of you who know me know that I always mean love.”
