Last season’s F1 runner-up Lewis Hamilton stayed with his biological mother Carmen Larbalestier until he was 12 years old, then moved in with his father and stepmother Linda.
Hamilton’s parents, Anthony and Carmen, separated when he was two years old. After that, Hamilton lived with his mother and two younger half-sisters. While his father has been present at almost every one of Lewis Hamilton’s competitions since the early days, his mother has been more private. Mrs. Carmen only appears at her son’s most important moments.
Lewis Hamilton and his mother arrived at the ceremony where he was knighted in December 2021. Photo: PA
However, mother and daughter are very close. At the 2008 Chinese Grand Prix, two weeks before Hamilton won the world championship for the first time, Carmen Larbalestier was seen hugging her son with Linda – Mr. Anthony’s new wife. In 2017, when the racer born in 1985 won his fourth world championship in Mexico, his mother was also present. The F1 star also unexpectedly held a 60th birthday party for his mother in London, inviting singer Jessie J to sing.
Before the new season kicks off this weekend, the 7-time world champion racer shared about his plan to change his name. Lewis Hamilton announced that he wanted to add his mother’s surname, Larbalestier, to his name. He hopes the name change procedure will be completed before the first race of the new season in Bahrain on March 20. Sharing at Dubai Expo 2022, the British racer did not understand why when a woman gets married she has to take her husband’s surname. “Winning the 8th world championship means a lot to my family. I’m really proud of my Hamilton name. Actually, you may not know that my mother’s last name is Larbalestier and I’m about to add her last name to my name. Because I really can’t understand why women lose their names when they get married. I really want my mother’s name to continue with the name Hamilton”.
Sharing about her separation from Mr. Anthony, Ms. Carmen once said: “Lewis is the best thing in our marriage. The separation of his parents did not harm Lewis. The boy has a better life than if we were still stuck together in an unhappy marriage. Tony was extroverted and I wanted a quiet life and that created a gap between us. I personally am not suited to a busy, whirlwind life. But I didn’t stop him from helping Lewis get what he wanted. Without his father’s support, Lewis could not continue pursuing his career”.
At the age of 12, Lewis Hamilton left his mother and moved to live with his father and stepmother Linda. At that time, Mr. Anthony and Ms. Linda had been together for two years. Mrs. Linda plays an active role in raising her husband’s stepchild. She often attended Lewis Hamilton’s races with Mr. Anthony, even after he was no longer his manager. Ms. Linda once shared a touching moment at the 2008 Chinese GP when Hamilton hugged his mother and stepmother to celebrate victory. Ms. Linda and Mr. Anthony have a son, Nicolas.
On birthdays or Mother’s Day, Hamilton often congratulates both Carmen and Linda. He said his two mothers have always supported and guided him to achieve success.
Lewis Hamilton (far right) with his biological mother and stepmother (black shirt) when winning the 2019 world championship. Photo: ES
While his two mothers played a supporting role, Hamilton’s father was the one who led him into his racing career from the early days. When the famous racer was 6 years old, Mr. Anthony bought his son a remote control car. A year later, he gave him a kart for Christmas. Dad helped Lewis Hamilton enter the world of cart racing and then enter the F1 racing village. He was his manager for 18 years until 2010, when he was “fired” by his son. Hamilton then explained that his father had other things to focus on. On his part, Mr. Anthony said Hamilton was “fed up with listening to his father, wanted to become his own man” and he was comfortable with that. Mr. Anthony once said that Hamilton promised to pay him three million pounds as a thank you after 18 years of service, but he has still not received this money. After an initial period of conflict and separation, father and son reconciled.
Both of his parents had their own homes, so Hamilton also had half-siblings and half-siblings. He has two younger sisters Nicola and Samantha who are the result of his mother’s love in her second marriage. Both girls stay away from the media lens. Meanwhile, Hamilton’s younger half-brother Nicolas appeared by his side many times. Nicolas suffered from cerebral palsy from birth but overcame his illness and pursued a racing career.
Dad was Lewis Hamilton’s manager for 18 years before he was ‘fired’ by him. 2010. Photo: PA
Lewis Hamilton was born in 1985, is a famous British Formula 1 racer, a figure who has a great influence on the world of sports. After winning the F1 championship in 2020, he equaled legendary Michael Schumacher’s record of 7 world crowns. Last season, Mercedes driver and junior Max Verstappen created the most dramatic competition in F1 history. He finished second after a thrilling final stage until the last minute. In addition to racing, Hamilton also loves fashion, appearing many times at entertainment events.
