Parent's Inclusion In Driver's Career Is 'Thin Line To Walk' Says Hamilton Amid Verstappen Saga

Thursday, 07 March 2024 at 14:15

Lewis Hamilton discussed the inclusion of parents in decisions of F1 drivers amid Max Verstappen's father's controversial statements.

The triple World Champion's father, Jos Verstappen, recently publicly spoke out against Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner.

Amongst other things, he said the team would be torn apart if he remained the team principal, and he also reportedly told his friends that Max Verstappen would leave the Austrian team if he had to.

Verstappen Sr seemingly said everything without prior consultation with his son, putting the 26-year-old in a tough spot ahead of this week's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

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Lewis Hamilton knows how it feels when a driver's and his parent's opinions clash. During the press conference ahead of the race in Jeddah, he commented on how difficult it is to have a parent closely involved in a career. He said:

"I think it is a very thin line to walk. I think it's also dependent on your relationship with your parent."

The 39-year-old's father, Anthony Hamilton, used to be his manager in his early career. The two enjoy a great relationship now but had a professional split in 2010, and the decision was said to have strained their personal relationship for some time.

"You meet some people who have a great relationship with their parents, and they've been amazing parents, and then you've got people that have had bad relationships. And this is not necessarily parents that have been good to them."

The 26-year-old Verstappen addressed his father's statements during press day at Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

On the one hand, he said his father isn't a liar, on the other hand, he didn't seem to support everything that has been said. Hamilton continued:

"So I don't know about his [Verstappen's] relationships. Obviously, you hear things here and there. But Max is a grown man, and he's a champion, and I'm sure he can make his own decisions."

Hamilton added that from his experience, it is easy to be misled by people who drivers trust, but clarified he wasn't hinting that would be the case with the triple World Champion.

"But I think in our world, as drivers, it's very, very easy to be misled by people whispering in your ear, and perhaps not guiding you always the right way. I'm not saying it's the case there, because they're doing great."