Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari after a few years of struggle at Mercedes seems to have done a world of good for both him and his family. The Briton has already claimed that he feels “rejuvenated” after moving to Maranello and it seems that his mom, Carmen Larbalestier, is also happier than she has ever been when it comes to her son’s career.
Although Hamilton’s mom is rarely seen trackside attending races, she too could not miss her son’s historic move to Ferrari. Larbalestier turned into her son’s personal photographer at his first Ferrari shakedown in Fiorano, where Hamilton got the opportunity to drive the 2023 Ferrari car — the SF-23.
While Larbalestier may never have been too enthusiastic about her son’s racing career, she has always supported him. Hamilton has also expressed gratitude on countless occasions about the support he has received not just from his mother but also from his father, Anthony Hamilton.
“My parents sacrificed everything for me,” the 40-year-old said per Corriere della Sera. “Mom let me live with dad, so I could finance my racing career; so she gave up a child and it was hard”.
The Ferrari switch has made Hamilton‘s mother feel happy for the first time in his racing career, presumably due to the love he is getting from people in Italy and Tifosi around the world. It’s just that a mother’s perspective never lets her heart stay calm, knowing that her son is risking his life on the track.
“It’s the first time in a long time that [my mom] is happy to see me racing, she is because I moved to Ferrari.”
Q: Your dad is here, just like in 2007 when you made your F1 debut. Your mother was in Fiorano on the first day you drove a Ferrari. How important is it to have them… pic.twitter.com/tCGShEVSiu
— sim (@simsgazette) March 14, 2025
Despite not liking to see her son race, Larbalestier has made it a point to be there at every important occasion for her son, just like she attended the ceremony when Hamilton received the knighthood from Prince Charles at Windsor Castle in 2021.
She was even present during the 2024 British Grand Prix when the seven-time world champion ended his win drought of 945 days and secured a record ninth victory at Silverstone.
Hamilton’s stepmother has also made various sacrifices
It is no secret that a family’s support plays a crucial role in helping one achieve success in any field and it cannot be more true for a field as competitive as F1. Hamilton certainly had that support as it was not just his parents who made several sacrifices but also his stepmother, Linda.
“She sacrificed all of her money,” Hamilton said in an interview with Mercedes, two years ago. “She didn’t go out and buy new dresses. They weren’t out enjoying life during holidays. All of their money went into racing”.
Hamilton also added that although his father worked four jobs at once, he would not have been able to help keep his career afloat if it were not for the support from his stepmother. Since Anthony was so busy with his jobs, Hamilton added in the interview that he never received much empathy from him and he had to reach out to his two moms for the same.
That said, Anthony also played a crucial role in helping his son navigate several challenges. He was essentially Hamilton’s protector and shielded the young Briton from all the bullying he faced at school.
While the sacrifices of Hamilton’s parents have definitely been worth it with the 40-year-old statistically being the sport’s greatest ever driver, nothing would be sweeter than to see him win a record eighth title.
