Hamilton’s strained relationship with his dad: ‘We bumped heads, spoke less’
Anthony had a major impact on his son’s career and famously worked several jobs to fund Hamilton’s early foray into motorsport until he was signed by McLaren at the age of 11.
The seven-time world champion was managed by his father when he started in F1 in 2007. However, their working relationship broke down in 2010 and the pair did not speak to each other for a time following the split.
Hamilton opened up about the difficulties of his relationship with his father in a recent appearance on the On Purpose podcast.
“My dad was my manager when we got to F1,” Hamilton said. “He worked so hard.
“His work ethic was inspiring for me, to see what time he gets up in the morning. The little sleep he would have, endless days in the garage working towards the weekend, packing up the track, learning to be a better mechanic.
“But it was difficult for him to show me love. Sometimes you just want a hug from your dad. You want to be embraced.
“At 22, 23, it got really intense when I got to F1. You don’t go to school to learn how to speak to the media. At the time I didn’t have PR, anybody to help protect me, or prepare me.
“A lot of mistakes happen. You learn on the go which was difficult for a youngster. You want to live a normal life but nothing is normal.
“Me and my dad bumped heads at one stage. I really just wanted him to be my dad. Let’s go and have fun, let’s laugh. We hadn’t had that for a long, long time.
“I decided to part ways with my dad to make decisions for myself. There was a period where we spoke less.”
Hamilton has worked hard in recent years to repair the bond with Anthony, who has been on holidays with his son and shown his support by attending grands prix.
Anthony was on hand to comfort his son following the heartbreak of his controversial title defeat to Max Verstappen at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“We have worked hard to come back together,” Hamilton explained. “He’s now the first person I call when I finish a race.
“There are days when I feel like I’m not enough, I’m not good enough. There are days when I question: ‘Can you still be the best?’ ‘Yes, you can’.
“Sometimes I’ll say something that isn’t positive but my dad is there to reaffirm, and to be positive.”
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for Crash.net around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
