London - McLaren chairman Ron Dennis, who funded Lewis Hamilton’s rise from obscurity to stardom, has said he does not approve of the world champion’s party lifestyle.
Hamilton, now at Mercedes, admits he has discovered drink in recent months, even blaming a recent road accident on exhaustion caused by burning the candle at both ends.
Dennis, who described himself as Hamilton’s surrogate father, said: “If he was at McLaren he wouldn’t be behaving the way he is because he wouldn’t be allowed to.
“He’s shaking off some chains he didn’t want to have. I look at him with mixed emotions.”
Hamilton, 30, first met Dennis at the Autosport Awards show when he was a 12-year-old karting prodigy. He asked Dennis for his autograph and a drive. A year later Dennis took up Hamilton on the idea and turned him into the most prepared driver in Formula One history.
GROWING PAINS
Dennis recalled: “It was an interesting experience for everybody and it wasn’t completely smooth and harmonious. I don’t approve of everything he does or says but, nevertheless, great athletes are great because of the sacrifices they have to make
“Sometimes sacrifices are in a formative part of their childhood so they don’t always emerge with all the right social process or behaviour or tendencies that you like.”
Sportsmail understands that relations between the pair are strained, with Hamilton having left McLaren at the end of 2012 to enjoy greater freedom at Mercedes. Nor does he have his actual - and very committed - father, Anthony, around to rein him in. He dispensed with Anthony’s services as manager five years ago.
Anthony has not even been to a race this year and a friend of the Hamiltons told Sportsmail that his father’s side of the family are “upset” at not seeing Lewis as much as they would like. It is said that they are the only people who are honest with the driver and this rankles with him amid the sycophancy that is now part of his world.
HAMILTON FOR NASCAR?
But after two successive world titles, Hamilton could claim that his life/work balance delivers results. His routine has seen him regularly criss-cross the Atlantic. This took him to Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday for the NASCAR finale, America’s most popular motor racing series.
It has always seemed likely that Hamilton would one day race in Nascar, a prospect he welcomed on the eve of this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“It was a really cool event and I hope I get to do one, one day,” he said. “It’s very different from F1 - the teams are much smaller. It almost reminded me of my Formula Three days.”
If he moved to the States, Hamilton would be following Nigel Mansell’s lead, though the 1992 world champion competed in IndyCar rather than the more muscular NASCAR series.
Hamilton, who was supporting four-time champion Jeff Gordon, added: “It gets massive audiences and I found it way more appealing in real life than on television.
“The fans could get very close to the garages and to the drivers.
“The lap is only 30 seconds long so you see the cars constantly. The cars sound amazing and they are freakin” rapid.
“It made me want to drive one. I’m not sure I’d do an oval but possibly a street circuit or road course.”
Daily Mail