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October 11, 2012

Lewis Carl Hamilton
Lewis Carl Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton Signs with Mercedes Racing

Lewis Carl Hamilton, the black Formula 1 driver and 2008 World Driving Champion, will switch from McLaren to the Mercedes racing team next season.

Hamilton will earn $24 million annually, driving for Mercedes, compared with the $22 million he pocketed yearly as a McLaren driver.

"I will be forever grateful for the opportunity McLaren gave me,” said Hamilton, who signed a three-year deal with Mercedes. Hamilton has driven for McLaren since 2000.

Hamilton's motorsport career started at the age of eight, and he had won his first British karting championship by the time he was 10. Hamilton was signed up for McLaren's young-driver program on a development contract in 1998.

After a string of successes in minor series, rookie Hamilton took his first Formula 1 victory in Canada in June 2007, becoming the first black driver to win a grand prix.

Hamilton became Formula 1's then-youngest champion in 2008 at  23 years and 301 days. He has won 20 grands prix.

Despite being a McLaren team member, he was involved in a number of controversies with his team. He accused the team leader of holding him back so white drivers could win.

Hamilton was born on Jan. 7, 1985, in Stevenage, England. His parents divorced when he was two. His father is black, and his mother is white.

The Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Racing Team is based in Stuttgart, Germany. McLaren Group is headquartered in Surrey, England.

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