Editing Lewis Hamilton (section)

===Karting===
Hamilton began [[karting]] in 1993 and quickly began winning races and cadet class championships.<ref name="BBC_07-06-19">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/6766373.stm|title=Hamilton's kart sells for £42,100|work=BBC News|date=19 June 2007|access-date=5 July 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220422083337/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/6766373.stm|archive-date=22 April 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Baker|first=Andrew|title=Lewis Hamilton's karting days have helped him become one of F1's best drivers|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/lewishamilton/3281489/Lewis-Hamiltons-go-kart-career-helped-him-become-one-of-Formula-Ones-best-drivers-FORMULA-ONE.html|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=29 October 2008|access-date=21 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081102073253/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/lewishamilton/3281489/Lewis-Hamiltons-go-kart-career-helped-him-become-one-of-Formula-Ones-best-drivers-FORMULA-ONE.html|archive-date=2 November 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> Two years later, he became the youngest driver to win the British cadet karting championship at the age of ten. That year, Hamilton approached McLaren Formula One team boss [[Ron Dennis]] at the [[Autosport Awards]] for an autograph and said: "Hi. I'm Lewis Hamilton. I won the British Championship and one day I want to be racing your cars."<ref name=benson /> Dennis wrote in Hamilton's autograph book: "Phone me in nine years, we'll sort something out then."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/formula_1/article1942897.ece|date=17 June 2007|access-date=25 March 2011|first1=Jane|last1=Nottage|first2=Richard|last2=Rae|title=Teams target the next generation of stars|work=[[The Times]] |location=London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204142837/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/formula_1/article1942897.ece|archive-date=4 December 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>

When Hamilton was 12, [[Ladbrokes]] took a bet, at 40/1 odds, that Hamilton would win a Formula One race before the age of 23; another predicted, at 150/1 odds, that he would win the World Drivers' Championship before he was 25.<ref name="westcott20120709">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-18769451 |title=The curious world of long-term bets |last=Westcott |first=Kathryn |date=9 July 2012 |work=BBC News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141002104649/https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-18769451 |archive-date=2 October 2014 |url-status=live|access-date=30 September 2014}}</ref> In 1998, Dennis called Hamilton following his second Super One series and British championship wins,<ref name=hamiltonf1fbio/> to offer Hamilton a role in the [[McLaren Young Driver Programme|McLaren-Mercedes Young Driver Programme]].<ref name="Wolff">{{cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/racing/06/12/hamilton0618/index.html |title=Better Than Sex |last=Wolff |first=Alexander |magazine=Sports Illustrated |agency=Associated Press |date=12 June 2007 |access-date=21 August 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080121143456/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/racing/06/12/hamilton0618/index.html |archive-date=21 January 2008 }}</ref> The contract included an option of a future Formula One seat, which would make Hamilton the youngest driver to secure a contract that later resulted in a Formula One drive.<ref name="BBC_07-06-19"/>
{{quote box|quote=He's a quality driver, very strong and only 16. If he keeps this up I'm sure he will reach F1. It's something special to see a kid of his age out on the circuit. He's clearly got the right racing mentality.|source=—[[Michael Schumacher]], speaking about Hamilton in 2001<ref>{{cite news|title=Schumacher Tips Hamilton for Future Glory|publisher=AtlasF1|url=http://www.atlasf1.com/news/2001/oct/report.php/id/5969/.html|date=28 October 2001|access-date=5 July 2007|archive-date=24 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024041547/http://www.atlasf1.com/news/2001/oct/report.php/id/5969/.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>|width=27%|align=right}}
<!--EDITORS: Please discuss on the talk page, and explain your reasoning BEFORE removing the above quote-->
Hamilton continued his progress in the [[Intercontinental A]] (1999), Formula A (2000) and Formula Super A (2001) ranks, and became European Champion in 2000 with maximum points. In [[KF1|Formula A]] and Formula Super A, racing for TeamMBM.com, his teammate was [[Nico Rosberg]], who would later drive for the [[Williams Grand Prix Engineering|Williams]] and [[Mercedes-Benz in Formula One|Mercedes]] teams in Formula One; they would later team up again for Mercedes from 2013 to 2016. Following his karting successes, the [[British Racing Drivers' Club]] made him a "Rising Star" Member in 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mclaren.com/drivers/lewis-hamilton |title=Lewis Hamilton Biography |publisher=Vodafone McLaren Mercedes official website |access-date=5 July 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100313142434/http://mclaren.com/drivers/lewis-hamilton |archive-date=13 March 2010 }}</ref> In 2001, [[Michael Schumacher]] made a one-off return to karts and competed against Hamilton along with other future Formula One drivers [[Vitantonio Liuzzi]] and [[Nico Rosberg]]. Hamilton ended the final in seventh, four places behind Schumacher. Although the two saw little of each other on the track, Schumacher praised the young Briton.<ref name="hamiltonschumacherf1f">{{cite web|title=When Hamilton raced Schumacher|publisher=F1Fanatic.co.uk|year=2007|url=http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2007/09/18/when-hamilton-raced-schumacher/|access-date=10 June 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011112609/http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2007/09/18/when-hamilton-raced-schumacher/|archive-date=11 October 2007|url-status=live}}</ref>