| The end of the 2006 formula one season signaled | | | | in the last race of the season. |
| the end of an era. Alonso won his second | | | | Over the next few years Lewis Hamilton dominated |
| consecutive world championship, Michael Schumacher | | | | Formula three before joining the GP" series in 2006 |
| retired and the world of Formula one looked as if it | | | | with the ART Grand Prix team and winning the |
| was about to loose more of its following and appeal. | | | | championship in his first year, a sign of things to |
| Fast forward to the beginning of the 2007 season | | | | come maybe! The 2006 GP2 season demonstrated |
| and a little known driver by the name of Lewis | | | | Lewis' outstanding driving ability with high speed |
| Hamilton was about to shake things up and take the | | | | overtaking moves, fastest laps and a professional |
| world of formula one by storm. The biggest question | | | | approach. |
| on most peoples lip was who is he, where did he | | | | The end of the 2006 Formula one season saw big |
| come from and how good is he? The first two | | | | changes to the McLaren formula one team. Columbian |
| questions are fairly straight forward to answer, he is | | | | driver Juan Pablo Montoya quit the team for a career |
| demonstrating the answer to the third question as | | | | in NASCAR whilst team mate Kimi Raikkonen joined |
| the current season progresses. | | | | rival team Ferrari. Team manager Ron Dennis has |
| Born on the 7th January 1985 in Stevenage, Herts., | | | | already managed to sign reigning world champion |
| Lewis Hamilton began his racing career as many other | | | | Fernando Alonso for the number one place in the |
| F1 greats, aged 8 racing Karts. He spent the next | | | | team and speculation was rife around who would join |
| years of his life working his way up the Karting | | | | him. After months of rumours and guesswork |
| ranks, winning races and championships and earning | | | | McLaren finally announced in late November 2006 |
| attention from some big names in motor racing, most | | | | that Lewis Hamilton would be joining the team. |
| notably Team McLaren. In 1999 Lewis was signed by | | | | And so the 2007 season began, McLaren were |
| Mclaren to the driver development support program. | | | | content in the fact that they had the reigning world |
| Crucially this contract included the possibility of a | | | | champion driving one of their cars and had a |
| Formula one drive in future years. By 2001 Lewis had | | | | confident and able driver number two to support him. |
| progress through the ranks and began his car racing | | | | This would provide a massive and much needed |
| career in the British formula Renault winter series. | | | | boost in interest not only in the UK but around the |
| The following year he joined the Manor Motorsport | | | | world for Formula One. Little did anyone suspect just |
| team in the Formula Renault championship, finishing | | | | how things were about to turn out and how their |
| third overall with three wins and three pole positions. | | | | new recruit was about to make Formula one history. |
| He stayed with the team in 2003 winning the | | | | A true legend in the making. |
| championship and even made his Formula three debut | | | | |