Hamilton happy with arrangement for new F1 season

LEWIS HAMILTON is confident the decision for his father to no longer manage his career will not have a destabilising affect in the coming Formula One season.

McLaren driver Hamilton and his father Anthony confirmed the move yesterday, less than two weeks before the first grand prix of 2010 gets under way in Bahrain.

Anthony has guided Lewis’ career since he was eight years old, but will now move on to pursue his own business interests after achieving the objective of seeing his son become world champion in 2008.

The timing of the announcement is sure to raise some eyebrows with Hamilton bidding to wrest back the drivers’ crown from new team-mate Jenson Button following a disappointing 2009, but the 25-year-old is comfortable with the decision. “It’s not destabilising to me. It might be to other people but I’m still fully focused on the season and I feel prepared in the best way possible,” Hamilton said.

“We’ve been discussing it for a while and it’s only just come out now that we’re going to be making some changes and I don’t feel that it affects the preparations for the season.”

Hamilton feels parting from his father is merely an inevitable progression in his racing career. He added: “He said he’d always be my dad but at some point he didn’t think it would always be right to be my manager. We never really knew when that was going to happen.

“He always wants the best for me, it’s very difficult to be able to trust anyone else. No one could do the job he does, and that’s why it’s probably been such a unique relationship.

“Other people have got managers who do it for the money or do it for other reasons. Your dad does it for love, he does it for the right reasons generally.

“He’s done his job. Our goal was always to get to Formula One and be world champions. I couldn’t have done it without him.”

Hamilton rejected the suggestion he had outgrown his professional relationship with his father. “It’s not that. My dad comes out with so many great ideas. He’s building his sports management business really fast right now and I feel that he should focus his full attention to that,” he said.

Anthony’s wide-ranging business interests have involved him in the creation of the young drivers’ school GP Prep and seen his managerial portfolio swell, with karting star Nyck de Vries and Force India reserve driver Paul di Resta on his books.

“Without my dad, Paul di Resta probably would not have the test drive he has now, so he’s done a great job there,” Hamilton added.

Anthony has famously attended every race contested by his son, but that’s a run that will come to an end this season.

“At the beginning, for the first few races, he’s probably not going to be there. I think probably later on in the season he’s going to come,” Hamilton explained.

“It’s not been easy because I’ve been racing since I was eight years old and to make changes in life is not always easy. It’s definitely going to feel weird at the first couple of races but I feel positive about it”.