| As with many a grown-up sporting star,
the first hint of greatness came at an early age for Lewis Hamilton. As an
eight-year-old at his first kart race, he charged "more like a mature driver
than a novice," remembers Martin Hines, owner of the Zip Kart racing company.
Scything his way through the field just outside London, Hamilton had a confident
style that seemed different from normal rookies, Hines says. "There was a little
spark about him." Now 22, and in his debut season in Formula One—he became the
first black driver to make it onto the grid in motor racing's blue-ribbon
championship. His success and profile that have earned young Hamilton comparisons with other sporting greats. His color— Hamilton's grandfather came to Britain from Grenada in the 50s—and the positive influence of his father, Anthony, have drawn parallels with Tiger Woods. Hamilton acknowledges that his participation could stoke interest among ethnic groups who may not be into the sport now. "Hopefully people that can relate to me will see that it's possible and also try to get into the sport," he told the BBC. Moreover, his youth, good looks and wholesome image are also likely to get marketers fired up. Countless more karting titles followed before 2001. He "made seasoned drivers look silly," says Tony Shaw, Hamilton's then team manager at Manor Motorsport. Hamilton's raw, natural speed and canny race craft nudged him closer to the big leagues. Hamilton's "understanding of when and where to overtake and how to take advantage of a situation is very advanced," Shaw says. At his first crack at GP2, the training ground for Formula One, Hamilton dominated the 2006 season with a series of blistering drives on his way to the title. Hamilton is "not worried about showing or doing what he's used to doing just because it's Formula One," says Hill. For many new drivers, "that's an enormous hurdle." With the retirement last year of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, there's one less rival for Hamilton to negotiate. And Hamilton is certainly not short on confidence. When he first met Ron Dennis—now his Formula One team boss—as a 10-year-old in a borrowed suit, Hamilton promptly told him he wanted to drive for McLaren. Three years later, he joined the team's support program for promising young drivers. But, say former team managers, he's ready to listen and learn when things go wrong. Hamilton has a rare "capacity to question himself—to analyze very clearly after a race," says Frederic Vasseur, general manager at the ART Grand Prix team behind Hamilton's GP2 championship. As for whether he'll become the Tiger Woods of the sport, it's too early to know whether he can live up to those standards. But for now, his fans are bullish. Damon Hill was the last British driver to take the world crown. And it's Hamilton, Hill says, "who looks likely to be the next." |