Seven Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship, 389 Grand Prix starts, 106 wins, and 207 podiums. Sir Lewis Hamilton is the F1 driver champion fans will find hard to forget. From pushing for morediversity in the sport to rocking the F1 race paddock withhis eccentric fashion sense, the 41-year-old is more than capable of converting his voice into action.
Now racing for Ferrari and sitting P3 in the drivers’ standings with 147 points through the first nine rounds, the Briton is chasing his second win after winning the race at the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.
Behind his impressive track record, there is something that you might not know about the Brit: his educational background. As an alumnus ofCambridge Arts and Sciences (CATS) College Cambridge, Hamilton has described his time at the school as a “pleasurable experience” and noted how CATS embraced his passion for racing.
“When I went to CATS, they were willing to give me time. They were totally open to my racing. They didn’t even ask about it,” explainedHamilton in his 2007 autobiography.He added, “They never questioned it. Instead it was, ‘Well, how can we work around it?’ And that’s why it was so good. They worked with me.”
With a goal of nurturing ambitions, here are eight interesting facts about the school that housed the seven-time F1 driver champion.
TL;DR? Here’s the summary:
- This article lists eight facts about the school that helped nurture Lewis Hamilton
- Hamilton has described his time at CATS as a “pleasurable experience” that boosted his academic confidence.
- CATS College was founded in 1952, giving it decades of experience with international students.
Lewis Hamilton currently races for Ferrari, and he holds the all-time records for most Grand Prix wins and pole positions in the sport’s history. Source: Lewis Hamilton/Facebook
Eight facts about the school that housed the seven-time F1 driver champion
1. CATS has campuses based in the US and UK
Cambridge. London. Boston. Canterbury. Each location is tailored according to CATS College’s philosophy towards education: high-quality teaching standards paired with a deep understanding of their students and personal needs, asstated on their website.
The school is experienced in nurturing and guiding international pupils so that every student fulfils their potential within the British or American educational system. In 2019, CATS College opened its first campus in Shanghai, China.
2. The school boasts of outstanding academic results
According to reports, he studied for his GCSE inFeb 2001 at CATS College Cambridge before moving on to pursue his professional racing career. Their flexible one or two-year programmes offer a seamless transition into their A Level or University Foundation Programme (UFP), which houses animpressive track record: CATS Cambridge students posted 81% A*–C grades at A Level in 2025, with leavers securing places at four of the UK’s top 10 universities, including the University of St Andrews, King’s College London, University College London (UCL) and Durham University.
One of the students was Duc from Vietnam, who has secured a place in Computer Science at the University of Warwick. “I really like the environment at CATS Cambridge because there aren’t lots of students, so I can focus on supporting peers and work together,” he says. “My friends and I support each other and bring the best out of each other.”
CATS College Cambridge helps international students progress to prestigious universities across the globe. Source: CATS Cambridge/Facebook
3. CATS is home to a supportive staff
For all racers, starting a professional career in racing can be difficult. Hamilton had a difficult start to his go-karting career. His dad workedthree jobs to fund his karting career, and his racial background made him a familiar subject toracial discrimination in the British-karting scene.
He needed a school that understood his unique challenge as a young race driver. That’s why CATS College Cambridge was a perfect place for him.
“CATS was a fantastic place. The staff were really nice: they spoke to me on a level that was not above me,”he said in his biography. “I also felt more fulfilled and began to value myself differently. I was happier.”
4. It’s a school where students are supported to fulfil their potential
Student welfare has been a top priority for CATS College since its inception in 1952. For its Cambridge campus, the school offers support to students inthree ways: an in-House Parent, a Personal Tutor and an opportunity to reach out to the Programme Director.
This three-dimensional system prioritises emotional and social support for students in hopes of nurturing, fulfilling, and enhancing their potential. For Hamilton, that support helped him realise his academic potential and motivated him to do well in his studies.
“Once I went to College I realised that I could enjoy more things and I bucked up my ideas a lot. I felt like I really wanted to do well,” he said in his book. “Something clicked for me. It was a much smaller class and I got on well with my teachers…It was the first time in my life in my academic work that I actually thought to myself, ‘I can do this and I can do well in exams.’”
5. CATS Cambridge runs a dedicated programme to get students into Oxbridge and other elite universities
Students aiming for the most competitive courses and universities receive extra support through the Key Professions Programme (KPP), a scheme run by a dedicated KPP coordinator alongside the Higher Education Officer, teaching staff, and external advisors.
Within the KPP, Oxbridge applicants are paired with a subject-specific tutor, sit Oxbridge-style mock interviews, and receive one-to-one support through every stage of the application, from personal statements to admissions tests.
In the 2023/24 academic year alone, four CATS Cambridge students were invited to interview at the University of Cambridge. It’s the same hands-on, work-around-the-student philosophy Hamilton experienced two decades earlier, just now formalised into its own programme.
Located in the historic city of Cambridge, CATS College combines academic rigour with a diverse, global student community. Source: CATS Cambridge/Facebook
6. Students are treated as young adults, not children
Unlike many traditional UK boarding schools, CATS Cambridge doesn’t dictate what students wear or which clubs they must join. Instead, each Personal Tutor group nominates a student council representative and each House elects a House Captain. Together they form a Student Council that meets the Head Teacher and Vice Principal twice a term, running committees dedicated to diversity, sustainability, fundraising and student wellbeing.
That independence extends to daily life too: CATS Cambridge encourages students to live independently as preparation for university, with personal laundry treated as the student’s own responsibility rather than something staff do for them.
7. The school now draws students from more than 35 nationalities
CATS Cambridge has grown into one of the most internationally diverse sixth-form colleges in the UK, with students representing over 35 nationalities learning side by side.
Every student has their English level assessed on arrival and is placed into the right programme, with additional English language support built into subject learning rather than taught separately.
On the university side, students get application workshops, classes and mock interviews throughout Years 12 and 13 to help its global student body compete for Russell Group and Oxbridge places.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Did Lewis Hamilton actually attend CATS College Cambridge?
Yes. Lewis Hamilton studied for his GCSEs at CATS College Cambridge. After completing them, he left school to focus on his racing career, a fact he discusses in his official autobiography ‘Lewis Hamilton: My Story’.
How much does it cost to study at CATS College Cambridge?
For the 2025–26 academic year, full boarding at CATS Cambridge — A Level tuition plus catered single en-suite accommodation — costs £60,035 (US$80,384) per year, with A Level tuition alone priced at £38,515 (US$51,569). A £600 (US$803) to £700 (US$937) non-refundable registration fee and a refundable £2,500 (US$3,347) deposit apply on top of that. Fees are inclusive of VAT, which the college has applied since January 2025.
What qualifications can you study at CATS College Cambridge?
CATS Cambridge offers GCSEs, A Levels and the University Foundation Programme (UFP), alongside a Pre-A Level year for students who need extra preparation. The UFP was pioneered by CATS Global Schools back in 1985 as a bridge from a student’s home-country schooling straight into UK university. All programmes are taught alongside English as a Second Language support for non-native speakers.
Disclaimer: This article was last updated on July 13, 2026.
