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Lewis Hamilton, after becoming the world’s youngest ever Formula 1 champion will undoubtedly be bombarded by clothing, watch and other manufacturers who all want to jump on the band wagon. It is likely that this Christmas gifts related to Lewis Hamilton, be it an item of clothing or even an alarm clock, will be extremely popular. This youngster however seems to be able to take this all in his stride, his cool head that is evident when in his car, is also evident in his life; while some in the media have criticised the racer for is outlandish lifestyle and his move to Switzerland, those in the know regard him as a down to earth young man.

After winning the world championship Lewis Hamilton has had a tumultuous time, naturally the post race partying went into the night but afterwards Lewis Hamilton returned to England and his home town of Stevenage to show his girlfriend his old neighbourhood. Time off however is a rarity for Hamilton, his week was filled with meetings and press conferences including an attendance at the McLaren headquarters and the headquarters of Mercedes in Germany. All of this work is part of his responsibilities to his team as well as merchandise and clothing providers.

Recently however the press have started to compare the young Brit to golfing sensation Tiger Woods. The comparisons are startling; both have entered their chosen sports at an extremely young age. Both have also experienced high levels of success in their young years, for example, Woods won his first major at the tender age of twenty one whilst Lewis has achieved a Formula 1 title at twenty three.

The comparisons however are not purely drawn in terms of their career records, their family life is also similar, both experiencing a large input from their fathers; Woods’ father coaching the golfer for many years whilst Anthony Hamilton has been heavily involved in funding and mentoring Lewis.

It is not just Tiger Woods that Lewis Hamilton has been compared to; in the world of Formula 1 commentators are eager to draw parallels with the greatest driver of the past generation; Michael Schumacher. Schumacher won his first championship in 1994 at the age of twenty five, Hamilton has won his first championship at twenty three and understandably many have argued that the Brit will eclipse Schumacher’s seven titles once he has completed his career. In terms of earnings, it is through clothing deals, sponsorship and merchandise affiliations that Lewis will earn millions, despite the fact that there was no financial incentive for the driver to win the championship.

This is still a matter of debate however, many in the Formula 1 fold believe that this first championship is just the start of an era of domination for Hamilton, whether this materialises though is still a contentious issue. There are many in the paddock that dislike Hamilton, this is yet another similarity with Schumacher who at his peak could have been described as anything but popular.

Such is the burden of success; most sportsmen who lead the field have to endure some form of bitterness from competitors. Whatever the debate however, winning the title at such a young age surely means that Hamilton will claim another title before the spectre of retirement arises.

Any success will bring yet more financial revenue from clothing and merchandise deals for Lewis Hamilton. Debate clearly surrounds his career at the moment with commentators arguing he has been fortunate to find himself part of one of the leading F1 manufacturers; despite this, he has had the skill and ability to use what is an excellent car to achieve excellent results consistently.