Bernie Ecclestone believes Lewis Hamilton’s decision to drop his father as his manager in late 2009 and join XIX Entertainment, was ‘a disaster’.
The management company, owned by Simon Fuller, manages several celebrities including, David and Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Lopez and Andy Murray.
Hamilton’s on-track results haven’t faired well under his new management as he’s suffered what many would describe as his worst ever season in Formula 1.
“It’s been an uphill year [for Hamilton]”, Ecclestone told the Guardian. “I think he had some personal problems during the year which affected him quite a lot. A lot to do with these things, it depends an awful lot on the people you surround yourself with, and who are in a position to influence you.
‘I think he just fell into a lot of people that I think weren’t good for him. When his dad was looking after him, his dad was a bit more … obviously it didn’t suit Lewis, which was why they split, I think he didn’t appreciate how much help his dad was.”
Ecclestone also believes Hamilton is being influenced by other celebrities, who he now has the chance to meet thanks to his new management company.
“I think it’s a disaster. He gets to meet people that probably he wouldn’t have met, and [who] have probably the wrong sort of influence on him,” added the 81-year-old. “He’s at the age, perhaps, and he has the amount of money, where when he’s influenced, he can carry things through, which he wouldn’t normally have done.”
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