Lewis Hamilton has opened up about his relationship with his father and the happiness he has found in spending time with him over the Formula One off-season.
Anthony Hamilton oversaw his son’s journey to the top of Formula One — from buying his first go-kart in 1990 to brokering a deal to give his son his F1 debut with McLaren in 2007. But in 2010 their working relationship ended, leading to a period of time when the pair stopped communicating with each other.
“Our journey hasn’t been an easy one, we’ve faced so many obstacles as individuals but also as a family,” he wrote. “My dad and I haven’t had the easiest of relationships. He worked so hard to create an opportunity for us as a family and because of him I am where I am today.
“In the search for success, with all the pressure it put on us all, we were so immersed in the drive to succeed that we lost sight of what was most important, our relationship.
“Over time, we lost that father-son bond and it has been something we have both wanted back for so long. The past couple years we’ve been growing closer and this winter break I asked my dad to come visit me so we could spend some time together, just us.
“We hadn’t done this before, so to finally get to spend quality time with him has brought me so much happiness. I just wanted to share this with you
“Family is the most important thing in the world. You can’t choose your family but you can make it work with them no matter what your differences, they are the ones that will be there when you have nothing.”
In a separate post, Hamilton revealed he had slimmed down to 73kg ahead of the start of pre-season testing this year after weighing 78kg at the same time last year.
“Last year I arrived into testing with a lot of water weight and around 78kg,” he wrote. “This year, I’m at a better weight of 73kg. Still have more fat to burn off and more muscle to add but on the way. If you are wanting to get in shape, you can do it. Let’s go guys.”
Hamilton will attend the launch of Mercedes new car, the W11, at Silverstone on February 14 before the first official test session at the Circuit de Catalunya on February 19.