Lewis Hamilton contends that Max Verstappen or other drivers in Formula 1 have a “thin line to walk” with the involvement of a parental figure in their management team.
The tension in the Red Bull camp was heightened following the Bahrain Grand Prix as Verstappen’s father, Jos, suggested that Christian Horner’s position was untenable.
Following an investigation, the Red Bull Team Principal had been cleared of alleged inappropriate behaviour against a female colleague on the eve of the opening round.
Although Horner claimed that he had no doubts over remaining in his role, Jos Verstappen warned that the Red Bull team could be “torn apart” with the Briton’s presence.
Hamilton admitted that he had not heard the comments beforehand, but the Mercedes driver deemed the contents to be unsuitable once he was told what had been said.
“I don’t know the details of it, so I don’t know what he is basing his foundations off,” Hamilton said.
“But, at the end of the day, he is not a part of the team, he is a parent. So that’s just an opinion but it’s definitely not helpful.”
Hamilton entered F1 in 2007 with his father Anthony managing his career, as the Briton burst onto the scene and won the title in his second season racing for McLaren.
However, that exhausted their relationship and the pair agreed to end their professional arrangement in 2010 as Hamilton pursued advice from alternative avenues.
Speaking from experience, Hamilton explained how challenging it can be to maintain a connection with a parent while having them influence decisions on a career.
“I think it is a very thin line to walk,” he expressed.
“I think it also depends on your relationship with your parent, and you meet some people who have great relationships with they have been amazing parents and then you have got people that have had bad relationships, and it’s not necessarily parents that have been good to them.
“I don’t know about his relationship, obviously you hear things here and there, but I think Max is a grown man, he’s a champion and I’m sure he can make his own decisions.
“But I think in our world as drivers, it is very easy to be misled by people whispering in your ear, and perhaps not guiding you always the right way.
“And I’m not saying that’s the case there because they’re doing great, but I know in other sports with other athletes that I’ve spoken to that I see, whether it’s in tennis, and I’ve experienced it when you sometimes don’t have the right guidance around you, it leads to you either making the wrong decisions or not being able to perhaps be the best at what you do.
“But that’s obviously not the case there because he is performing well.
“But it’s very difficult because you want your parent to be your parent and have a good relationship, but when business is involved it makes it really difficult.”
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