20 Years Ago Today - 13 y/o Hamilton Signs For McLaren

Twenty years ago today, a thirteen-year-old boy named Lewis Hamilton was signed to the McLaren Young Driver Development Programme.

Hamilton broke onto the Formula One scene and almost won it all immediately. He was only one point short (!) of winning the title in his rookie season, but broke many records along the way; most victories for a rookie, most points for a rookie and most consecutive podiums for a rookie. A year later, he did win the title in 2008.

After moving to Mercedes in 2013, Hamilton started to win consistently. He's won three titles in the last four years, only being beaten by his teammate and old friend Nico Rosberg in 2016. Hamilton is one of the five drivers in history to have won four titles.