Lewis Hamilton enjoys competing against the odds and going into the 2017 F1 season Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel looked the best bet to pose a credible title challenge. With the German plagued by a series of mechanical failures during the campaign, Hamilton helped himself to his fourth drivers' title in the third-last race of the season.

Lewis Hamilton is known for pushing both his car and his opponents to their limits. At this year's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Hamilton came out of Turn 15 particularly slowly, and his German rival, Sebastian Vettel rear-ended him. Vettel then pulled up beside him and rammed his car. Hamilton denied having been at fault.

Hamilton is not always easy to deal with even when he happens to be your teammate. The alpha male didn't take it well when then-Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg competed hard against him - and succeeded in winning the 2016 drivers' championship. The German driver's lack of deference was a constant source of friction between him and F1's biggest ego.

The Briton's favorite driver when he was growing up was the late Ayrton Senna. In Montreal in June, Hamilton captured the 68th pole position of his career, equaling the record of Senna, who died in a crash at Imola in 1994. Senna's family recognized the achievement by presenting Hamilton with one of the late Brazilian driver's helmets.

Like the parents of many professional athletes, Hamilton's father Anthony (above, left) made many sacrifices to make Lewis' development as a driver possible, at times holding down as many as three jobs at once. Anthony was Lewis' manager when he first arrived on the circuit in 2007, but the two ended their business relationship in 2010. The two now have a close father-son relationship.

His entire family are a priority for Hamilton - including his younger half-brother Nicolas, who despite suffering from cerebral palsy has also managed to become a professional racecar driver. Lewis almost burst with pride when Nicolas moved up the British Touring Car Championship in 2015.

At the age of eight, Hamilton (second from right) enjoyed his first win as a driver racing go-karts. He first came into contact with Formula One in 1996, when Mika Hakkinen (right), who would go on to win two F1 titles, presented the trophies at an an event to honor up-and-coming drivers.

Ron Dennis (left) was one of the biggest influences on Hamilton early in his career. The longtime team principal of McLaren was impressed when the then-10-year-old Hamilton one day approached him for his autograph and said he intended to drive for McLaren in the future. Three years later, Dennis brought Hamilton into McLaren's youth program.

Hamilton is said to have dated a long list of famous women such as actress Kate Hudson, singer Rihanna or professional tennis player Maria Sharapova - as well as numerous models. He remains single and doesn't plan to start a family until his driving career is over. His longest romantic relationship was with the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls, Nicole Scherzinger (right).

Hamilton is very mindful of his image and enjoys hanging out with the rich and famous. He is often seen in the front row of fashion shows. Above he is pictured with supermodel Naomi Campbell (let) at a fashion show in Milan. The Briton has said that he has plans to release his own line of clothing in the future.

While some drivers unwind by spending quality time with their loved ones, Hamilton prefers to be where the action is, partying with the rich and famous at the hottest clubs. He also enjoys sharing his escapades with his social media followers (five million on Instagram, four million on Faceboook).

It was an anti-climatic way for Lewis Hamilton to win an historic fourth F1 world championship, but the smile on his face suggested he didn't care much. A collision with Sebastian Vettel at the start of the Mexican GP left both at the back of the field, but a ninth-placed finish was enough for Hamilton after Vettel finished fourth. Hamilton is now the most successful British F1 driver ever.