Over the last several weeks there has been some speculation on just who Lewis Hamilton will select as his new management team. Many have offered former McLaren driver and double world champion Mika Hakkinen while others still have names and organizations most fans have never heard of.
You’ll recall that Hamilton’s father, Anthony Hamilton, has been out of the picture for some time after 20 years of orchestrating his son’s rise to fame. The two have not been speaking for weeks and the pressure of the limelight for the young Hamilton has not stopped but is now being handled by McLaren’s internal PR staff on a temporary basis.
It’s a tough job to be sure but I have maintained all along, since Lewis’s first time in a McLaren that his father needs to go. Anthony is a proud father and has every right to be but he is not a sports management person. He made serious gaffs over the last three years and has not handled the fortune and fame as well as he might have.
I don’t envy Anthony. I really don’t. It has to be very difficult to be watching from afar after trying to do the best you can but I sense that Anthony got a little too big for his station in life and McLaren might be relieved to have Sr. our of the picture.
Things may be thawing however as the Telegraph reports:
“Things are slowly progressing,” Hamilton said. “We’ve been in contact recently.
“He sent me a message to let me know he is supporting me and if I need anything he is there, which is all I’ve ever wanted from my dad.
“More and more he’s coming to terms with it. It’s just been a hard transition but I’m looking forward to re-starting our relationship.”
Notice that all Lewis really wanted is his father’s support. Not his micromanagement and overbearing position in his career. Lewis is becoming his own man and finding the hard way that no one is completely on your side. Anthony stands to gain as much or more from Lewis’s success and the excess shows in his new training school for F1 drivers. Seems to me that Anthony has a son is incredibly talented more than his having the skill to find and teach young talent how to be the next star.
At this point, Anthony needs to be his father. That’s it. For he health of the family this is all he need be. Lewis has made the right decision and would do well to have Hakkinen or someone similar. McLaren too would do well to have Hakkinen as Hamilton’s manager. Someone close tot he organization and a man the teams can work with.
I am sure his father knows Lewis the best and knows that he is a young man on the immature side of life and in need of additional protection but I always got the sense that Anthony was using Lewis as the threat unless he got something for his son but most importantly something for himself. He seems to be the grand opportunist but then I may be wrong…he may just be the world’s best dad.
What’s your view? Do you think Hakkinen is a good choice? Should Lewis and Anthony get back together as a team?
