Lewis Hamilton warns Max Verstappen of ‘fine line’ when working with dads in F1

Asked how difficult it was to have a parent closely involved in a driver’s career, Hamilton said it was a delicate balancing act but added that Jos and Max were doing a pretty good job judging by their success.

“I think it is a very thin line to walk,” he said. “I think it’s also dependent on your relationship with your parent.

“You meet some people who have a great relationship with their parents, and they’ve been amazing parents. And then you’ve got people that have had bad relationships.

“So I don’t know about his [Verstappen’s] relationships. Obviously, you hear things here and there. But Max is a grown man, and he’s a champion, and I’m sure he can make his own decisions.

“But I think in our world, as drivers, it’s very, very easy to be misled by people whispering in your ear, and perhaps not guiding you always the right way.

“I’m not saying it’s the case there, because they’re doing great. But I know in sports, 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 clearly not the case there, he’s performing well. So it is 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.”