A youngBritish Formula One racing driverhas made history bybreaking recordsfor the best everdebutfor anewcomerto the F1 drivers’ championship.

Lewis Hamilton is just 22 years old and has competed in only five F1Grand Prixraces, but is the only driver ever to finish in thetop threein all five of his first races. He is also the youngest driver ever tolead the championship, breaking the record set in 1960 by Bruce McClaren.

Lewis is remarkable in other ways too. He is the first driver ofCaribbean descentto compete in F1. Although he was born in Stevenage, England, his father’s parents came from the island of Grenada in the Caribbean.

His ambition and professional approach to racing from the earliest age is also thestuff of legend. He began racinggo-kartsat the age of six, quickly winning races and championships.

In 1995, at the age of ten, Lewis met Ron Dennis, the boss of the McClaren-MercedesF1 racing teamat anawards ceremony. Mr Dennis later said: "When I first met Lewis he was asking for myautograph. Without breakingeye contact, he told me how he was going to go about his career."

It reallyimpressedhim, and within a couple of years Lewis had joined the McClarendevelopment programmeand his journey to F1 stardom had begun.

Former F1 legendshave been quick tospot the young racer’spotential. Triple world champion Niki Lauda said he had been "stunned" by Lewis’s first season in world championship competition.

Lauda, who raced in F1 for three decades, told a British newspaper that Lewis had "a clear mind to face the challenge of F1".

"It may seem absolutely amazing, but, yes, I can see Lewis winning the championshipat the first attempt," said Niki Lauda.