Lewis Hamilton management team must do more, says father Anthony
BBC Sport understands that Hamilton makes race-by-race decisions on whether he needs his management team to attend the grands prix.
“Undeniably this has not been a good year for Lewis Hamilton. He’ll regroup as there are five more races and he’ll try to win them and try to win the championship next year.”
* Monaco GP - Given two drive-through penalties for clashes with Pastor Maldonado and Felipe Massa
Angry Massa interrupts Hamilton interview
“I think it’s unfortunate that he got a drive-through for it, which is typical - he would get a drive-through wouldn’t he?
Read more on Andrew’s blog
Hamilton clashed with Massa in Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix as he tried a move around the outside of Turn Seven on lap 10.
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* Singapore GP - Has minor brush with Massa in qualifying before colliding with the Brazilian in the race
Andrew Benson analysis
There was no member of Hamilton’s management team in Singapore but Hamilton is understood to be happy with the relationship he has built with the company, which also looks after footballer David Beckham and tennis player Andy Murray.
“His management need to do more,” Hamilton’s father told BBC Sport.
Hamilton had been managed by his father since childhood before taking on Simon Fuller’s XIX Entertainment this year.
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“I just think a little bit of common sense needs to prevail.”
When asked whether the McLaren team needed to offer more support to their de facto number one driver, team principal Martin Whitmarsh told BBC Sport: ”Lewis is having plenty of love from the team. I’ve known him since he was 11 and there’s affection between us and many other members of the team.
“Many people in the F1 paddock feel that if Hamilton is to compete with Vettel in the future, he needs a change of approach.”
* Canadian GP - Collides with Mark Webber and team-mate Jenson Button, the latter incident forcing him to retire from race
Hamilton’s father was instrumental in guiding Hamilton into Formula 1 but the two split in March after a rocky period.
“It was a genuine mistake,” said Hamilton’s father. ”I don’t think there was any premeditation or any other issue with it.
Lewis Hamilton is confronted by Felipe Massa
The McLaren driver turned into Massa, breaking part of his front wing, while Massa was forced to limp back to the pits with a right rear puncture.
“He didn’t turn the steering wheel [and think] I’m going to hit your back wheel and give you a puncture. That wasn’t what he did.
* Malaysian GP - Picks up drive-through penalty for making more than one change of direction to defend position
The two are now on good terms but Hamilton announced in March that he would join Fuller’s stable of clients.
Asked whether Hamilton needed another manager, his father replied: ”What I will say is look up the paddock; every driver that’s got a driver manager, the manager is here [in Singapore] and in the driver’s life.”
* Belgian GP - Bangs wheels with Maldonado in qualifying and then hits Kamui Kobayashi in the race, sending his McLaren flying into the barrier
Hamilton’s incidents in 2011
“If you look at the replay,peak jacket, he locked up a brake as he turns in and just catches Massa’s car.
“He was pushing hard, trying to catch up to where he was. I think this one just caught him out.
The 2008 world champion clashed with Ferrari’s Felipe Massa during a frustrating weekend in Singapore in the latest of a number of high-profile incidents this season.