Veloce

Remote-control car racing led to go-karting, which put him on a path to Formula 1. He was fast, he was talented, and he was a winner. Hamilton joined McLaren as a 13-year-old, and he eventually got sponsored by the F1 team by age 22. In 2013, Hamilton joined Mercedes.

Hamilton’s family didn’t have that kind of money, but they did have determination. His father, Anthony, worked three jobs and his stepmom contributed a large sum of her savings in an effort to fund Hamilton’s F1 dream.

Like Tiger Woods and the Williams sisters, Hamilton’s career was encouraged by a dominant & obsessive father figure. At go-kart races, Anthony would study the fastest kid on the track and coach Hamilton on where he should brake. youtube.com/watch?v=xDgpS4kx…

The track was his refuge from the bullying and overt racism he experienced as a little kid. “I've spoken so little about my personal experiences b/c I was taught to keep it in, don’t show weakness, kill them with love & beat them on the track. This is why I drive the way I do."

To this day, Hamilton is the first — and only — Black driver in his sport. “My dad and I would watch people like Tiger [Woods] who kind of broke the mold, and we watched in admiration. The Williams sisters also did the same,” he said.