Lewis Hamilton cuts Formula One ties with father Anthony

One of the most effective parent-offspring partnerships in professional sport came to an end on Tuesday with the announcement by Lewis Hamilton that his father, Anthony, will no longer manage his career in Formula One. After discussions over a long period, the McLaren driver said that he and his father had decided that it would be “a positive step” for his father to be, as Hamilton Jr put it, “just my dad” again. No replacement has been announced and Hamilton’s affairs will be handled by his team for now. “He’s got a lot of work on his hands and, for me, he’s done his job,” Hamilton said. “Our goal was always to get into Formula One and be world champion and I couldn’t have done it without him.” He went on to pay an emotional tribute to the man who has attended every race his son has entered — from go-karting to Formula One — since he was 8. “He has really been the most incredible father and supporter throughout my life,” Hamilton said. “He’s been there through the toughest of times; he’s been there as my dad and looking out for my career business-wise. “He’s always had my best interests at heart, he’s always been there to guide me. The amount of effort and commitment he’s put in throughout my whole career has taken all of him to be able to do that.” Although both men feel that the time is right to split in business terms, it seems odd that Hamilton would choose now — days before the opening race of the season in Bahrain on March 14 — to make the announcement. Hamilton said that he was confident that the issue would not destabilise his build-up to what promises to be an exceptionally tough season, but he admitted that it will be strange not having his father around at every grand prix. “It’s going to feel weird, especially at the first couple of races, but I feel positive about it and hopefully in the future it will feel comfortable,” he said. Professional sport — especially tennis — has had some gruesome examples of parents pushing their children to global success and trying to manage, or cash in on them, at the same time. It would be wrong to place Anthony Hamilton’s relationship with his son in that category. Most important, his son has never given the…

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Posted by admin 2 March 2010

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