A British bookmaker has made a huge payout on Lewis Hamilton after the McLaren driver clinched the Formula One world championship in Brazil on Sunday (November 2nd).
Hamilton passed Timo Glock on the final corner of the Interlagos circuit to secure fifth place in the final Grand Prix of the season, thereby winning the championship by a single point from Ferrari's Felipe Massa.
The 23-year-old's victory netted punter Richard Hopkins from Peterborough a total of £165,000, after three bets placed on the F1 champion at Ladbrokes in 1998 came in.
In the bookmaker's largest ever motor sports payout, Mr Hopkins won £40,000 for successfully predicting that Hamilton would win his first F1 race by the time he was 23 and £50,000 for betting that he would become world champion by the age of 25.
A third wager, which required Hamilton to achieve both feats, netted the customer a further £75,000.
Mr Hopkins revealed that he noticed the driver's talent after seeing him race go-karts against his son at the age of 13.
Hamilton, who yesterday told BBC Sport he is targeting at least another two F1 championship victories, is now 20/1 with William Hill to equal Michael Schumacher's record of seven world titles.
A British bookmaker has made a huge payout on Lewis Hamilton after the McLaren driver clinched the Formula One world championship in Brazil on Sunday (November 2nd).