A winner: Lewis Hamilton: racing's newest phenomenon

The story has grown beyond mere legend, approaching mythical heights. A young Black English boy walks up to Ron Dennis, one of the most powerful men in international motor sports, and declares, "I'm going to race for you one day" in Formula One.

The declaration at the time would have seemed laughable, not only because Lewis Hamilton was only a 10-year-old but also because no Black person had ever reached F-1--auto racing's premier, global-hopping series--let alone driven for a top-tier team.

But today, nearly 12 years later, no one is laughing.

Hamilton is in F-1, driving for the McLaren-Mercedes team and dominating the series as a rookie in a way that has left motorsports journalists searching their thesauruses for more adjectives and superlatives to describe him. Fast. Aggressive. Handsome. Articulate.

In less than three months, the 22-year-old phenom has become an international racing superstar Who, ill terms of success, is constantly being compared to a young Tiger Woods. Hamilton's driving is "mature and disciplined," says Dennis, the boss at McLaren-Mercedes. "His family should be justifiably proud of his achievement."

"It has been a fantastic day. This is history," the personable Hamilton said after his win at the Canadian Grand Prix. "I have to dedicate this win to my dad because without him this would not have been possible."

Hamilton was born in a town north of London in 1985, His father's parents moved to the United Kingdom from Grenada 50 years ago. His mother, who is White, and his father, Anthony, separated when he was 2. He competed in junior formulas before McLaren signed him as a full-time F-1 driver this war.. making him the first Black driver in the series. His father attends every race, often with Hamilton's younger brother. Nicholas. who has cerebral palsy. Hamilton describes Nick as his "inspiration."

Arguably the best Formula One driver ever was Michael Schumacher of Germany, who didn't win his first race until his second season. "To come to Canada for the first time and Indianapolis [Grand Prix] for the first time and have the best two races of my life, it's an amazing feeling," Hamilton said after his U.S. Grand Prix win. "It's insane."

Insane or not. race rims around the world, including those in the United States, can't seem to get enough of Lewis Hamilton.

COPYRIGHT 2007 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning