Lewis Hamilton marked his 40th birthday this week, setting the stage for a milestone year in his Formula One journey. The British racer is gunning for an unprecedented eighth F1 title after trading Mercedes for the Scuderia in 2025. Should he claim the top step on the podium at the end of the season, he will do so as one of only a few drivers to have raced into their 40s.
Hamilton is one of just five F1 drivers this century to race past their 40th birthday, and it's been over three decades since a driver in their 40s tasted victory on the track - which was Nigel Mansell in 1994. The former McLaren man will be aiming to end that record when the new season kicks off in Australia in March.
It should be noted that Hamilton is no stranger to challenging perceived wisdom, having previously revealed plans to legally change his name in honour of his mother. In 2022, Hamilton said: "I’m really proud of my family’s name: Hamilton. Actually, none of you might know that my mum’s [sur]name is Larbalestier. And I’m just about to put that in my name. Because I don’t really fully understand the whole idea of why, when people get married, the woman loses her name. I really want her name to continue on with the Hamilton name.".
Hamilton is gearing up for an important visit to Ferrari headquarters in Italy later this year, ahead of the eagerly anticipated season launch event at London's O2 Arena on February 18. Next in line is the grand reveal of the new Ferrari, scheduled for the day after, which will then go for pre-season testing just a week later.
