AGE: 22
OCCUPATION: Formula 1 driver
NUMBER OF TIME COVERS: 0
PREVIOUS APPEARANCES ON THE TIME 100: 0
PRO: A broken gearbox may have been all that kept the young Brit from winning the thrill-packed Brazilian Grand Prix. Hamilton's star power is igniting interest in Formula 1, NASCAR's sophisticated European twin.
CON: At the Circuit de Catalunya testing session in Barcelona, fans of Hamilton's Spanish rival Fernando Alonso wore blackface, chanted epithets and displayed racially offensive signs. The racing association overseeing F1 may sanction Spain and prevent the Grand Prix from being held there. It's all very...unsophisticated.