Lewis Hamilton’s route from karting in Stevenage to Formula 1 began with a family effort. His father, Anthony Hamilton, organised and financed much of the early racing programme; his mother, Carmen Larbalestier, provided a stable home during his childhood and remains an important influence in his life.
The family story is also more complicated than the familiar image of a father managing a young driver. Anthony and Carmen separated when Lewis was about two, Anthony’s management role ended in 2010, and Lewis has since spoken about rebuilding their father-son relationship outside the business of racing.
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Who are Lewis Hamilton’s parents?
Lewis Hamilton’s father is Anthony Hamilton, whose family came to Britain from Grenada in the 1950s. His mother is Carmen Larbalestier, also publicly known as Carmen Lockhart. Lewis was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, on January 7, 1985, and is commonly described as having mixed Black Caribbean and white British heritage.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Anthony became the highly visible figure in Lewis’s racing story because he was the parent at the circuit, arranging transport, equipment, entries and funding. Carmen has kept a much lower public profile, although Lewis has consistently credited both parents with shaping him.
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| Parent | Known for | Connection to Lewis’s racing career |
|---|---|---|
| Anthony Hamilton | Lewis’s father; of Grenadian heritage | Financed, organised and managed Lewis’s early racing career, including his first F1 seasons |
| Carmen Larbalestier | Lewis’s mother; also known as Carmen Lockhart | Raised Lewis during much of his early childhood and remained a key emotional influence |
When did Anthony Hamilton and Carmen Larbalestier separate?
Anthony and Carmen separated when Lewis was about two years old, around 1987. Lewis initially lived with Carmen and his older half-sisters, Samantha and Nicola.
He later moved into his father’s household with Anthony’s wife, Linda, and his younger half-brother, Nicolas. Accounts differ over the exact timing: Formula 1’s official biography places the move at around age 10, while BBC and Guardian accounts, along with comments attributed to Lewis, have commonly said age 12. The safest description is that Lewis moved to live with his father in late childhood.
That change did not mean that Carmen stopped being part of his life. Lewis has described her as loving and has said that his father gave him discipline and determination, while his mother was a major emotional influence.
How did Anthony Hamilton support Lewis’s karting?
Anthony supported Lewis from the beginning of his competitive career. Lewis started karting at eight, and the costs quickly became significant: a competitive kart, engines, tyres, entry fees, travel, maintenance and time away at race meetings all had to be paid for.
The family lived in a council house in Stevenage, and money was tight. Anthony worked in IT for the railways and took on additional jobs to keep Lewis racing. Published accounts have described him selling double glazing, washing dishes and putting up estate-agent boards alongside his main employment.
His contribution was not just financial. Anthony handled the practical work that a young driver’s career requires:
- Getting Lewis and his equipment to karting events.
- Finding the money for race entries and running costs.
- Dealing with teams, organisers and sponsors.
- Supporting Lewis through the move from karting into single-seaters.
- Managing the increasingly demanding schedule of a rising professional driver.
That combination of sacrifice and organisation helped Lewis progress through the junior categories and eventually attract McLaren’s attention.
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Yes, but only during the early part of Lewis’s Formula 1 career. Anthony managed Lewis when he entered Formula 1 with McLaren in 2007 and continued in that professional role until 2010.
Anthony was therefore an important part of the operation that guided Lewis to his first F1 win and his 2008 world championship. However, he is not Lewis’s current manager. Their business relationship ended in 2010.
The split affected their personal relationship as well as their professional one. Lewis said in 2020 that they had lost some of their father-son bond for a period, but that they were rebuilding it after spending private time together. This is why descriptions of Anthony as Lewis’s present-day manager are outdated.
What does Anthony Hamilton do now?
Anthony has remained involved in motorsport, but not as Lewis’s manager. In 2025, the BBC reported that he was taking on an official role linked to the FIA’s young-driver-development work. He had reportedly been advising FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem for about 18 months on ways to improve pathways for young drivers.
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The role fits Anthony’s background: he has first-hand experience of the financial and structural barriers faced by families trying to get a talented driver from karting into professional racing. It should not be confused with a return to managing Lewis.
What role did Carmen play in Lewis Hamilton’s upbringing?
Carmen raised Lewis during much of his early childhood after the separation. She has generally avoided the level of publicity that followed Anthony, but Lewis has spoken about her importance on several occasions.
Her influence was not primarily described in terms of race strategy or career management. Instead, Lewis has linked Carmen with emotional support and family life away from the circuit. His public comments have treated both parents as important, while recognising that they contributed in different ways.
Carmen has attended significant moments in Lewis’s career and public life, including his knighthood ceremony at Windsor Castle in December 2021. She has also appeared at Formula 1 events, although she has traditionally been seen more often at the British Grand Prix than at races around the world.
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Motorsport.com reported in 2026 that Lewis brought Carmen to the Canadian Grand Prix so they could spend more time together. The report said he had been encouraging her to attend more races.
Why does Lewis Hamilton want to use the name Larbalestier?
In March 2022, Lewis said he intended to add his mother’s family name, Larbalestier, to his name. He explained that he wanted her name to continue alongside Hamilton and to recognise her family line.
The announcement was sometimes simplified into claims that he had changed his surname to “Hamilton-Larbalestier”. That is not the safest wording. Lewis said Larbalestier would be added as part of his middle name, and the exact legal form was not clear in the original reports.
In other words, it should not automatically be presented as a confirmed hyphenated surname.
Who are Lewis Hamilton’s siblings?
Lewis has older half-sisters, Samantha and Nicola, from Carmen’s side of the family. He also has a younger half-brother, Nicolas Hamilton, from Anthony’s marriage to Linda Hamilton.
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Nicolas was born with cerebral palsy and became a professional racing driver. He has competed in touring-car racing, including the British Touring Car Championship, and Lewis has spoken about him as an inspiration.
The Hamilton family’s connection to motorsport therefore extends beyond Lewis’s Formula 1 career. Anthony helped build the original pathway, Lewis became a seven-time world champion, and Nicolas developed his own career despite the additional challenges created by cerebral palsy.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A brief timeline
- 1985: Lewis Hamilton is born in Stevenage.
- Around 1987: Anthony Hamilton and Carmen Larbalestier separate when Lewis is about two.
- Age eight: Lewis begins karting.
- Late childhood: Lewis moves to live with Anthony, Linda and Nicolas; published accounts differ on whether he was 10 or 12.
- 2007: Lewis enters Formula 1 with McLaren, with Anthony acting as his manager.
- 2008: Lewis wins his first Formula 1 world championship.
- 2010: Anthony’s professional management relationship with Lewis ends.
- 2021: Carmen attends Lewis’s knighthood ceremony at Windsor Castle.
- 2022: Lewis announces his intention to add Larbalestier to his name.
- 2025: Anthony is reported to be taking on an FIA-linked young-driver-development role.
What is often reported incorrectly?
Several short descriptions of the family need qualification:
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- “They divorced when Lewis was two”: reliable accounts commonly say they separated. The legal details should not be assumed.
- “Lewis moved to his father at age 10”: that age appears in Formula 1’s biography, while other reputable accounts say 12.
- “Anthony still manages Lewis”: incorrect. Their professional management relationship ended in 2010.
- “Lewis is now Lewis Hamilton-Larbalestier”: not established by the original 2022 announcement, which described Larbalestier as an addition to his name, likely in the middle-name position.
- Detailed claims about Carmen’s private life: reputable sources publish far less about her occupation and personal history than about Anthony’s role in racing, so unsourced biography details should be treated cautiously.
FAQ
Who is Lewis Hamilton’s father?
Lewis Hamilton’s father is Anthony Hamilton, who supported and managed Lewis through his karting career and his early Formula 1 years. Anthony’s professional management role ended in 2010.
Who is Lewis Hamilton’s mother?
His mother is Carmen Larbalestier, also known publicly as Carmen Lockhart. She raised Lewis during much of his early childhood and has remained an important emotional influence.
Are Anthony Hamilton and Carmen Larbalestier still together?
No. They separated when Lewis was about two years old. The available accounts do not establish the details of their legal marital status, so “separated” is the more careful description.
Is Anthony Hamilton still Lewis Hamilton’s manager?
No. Anthony managed Lewis when he joined McLaren in Formula 1 in 2007, but their professional relationship ended in 2010. Anthony has since been involved in wider young-driver-development work.
The Bottom Line
Anthony Hamilton and Carmen Larbalestier shaped different parts of Lewis Hamilton’s path. Anthony made the racing programme possible through years of extra work, funding and organisation, while Carmen provided much of Lewis’s early home life and emotional support. Anthony was an early F1 manager, not a current one, and Lewis’s family story includes both parents, his half-sisters and his racing-driver brother Nicolas.
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