By Deirdre O'Brien 1/08/2011
Anthony Hamilton (pic: Getty)
As Lewis Hamilton geared up for his valiant performance in the Hungarian Grand Prix, cheering him on in the pit lane was his devoted father Anthony.
The proud dad insists that although Lewis is now a superstar, with a pop star girlfriend and a multi-million pound fortune, he’s very far from being a playboy.
“I always look at him and think 'My lad is a world wide superstar. I can’t believe this is my little boy.'
“But the nice thing is, he can’t quite believe it either. He is an extremely humble young man. It always makes me laugh that Lewis gets more excited when other famous people contact him.
“I’ll be sitting somewhere and Lewis will ring to say ‘Dad, you’ll never guess who I’ve just had on the phone.' And I’ll say 'Well yes, Lewis, but you are just as famous as them.' That is a nice thing.
“He is still the same Lewis, from Hertfordshire, it’s just that he’s achieved his dream.”
And of course, along with his girlfriend, Pussycat Doll lead singer and X Factor star Nicole Scherzinger, 33, he’s half of an A-list couple.
Lewis Hamilton and Nicole Scherzinger
Anthony approves whole heartedly of Lewis’s relationship with the American singer.
“That’s quite incredible too isn’t it! She is an absolutely lovely girl,” he says.
“She is a fantastic individual. When I see them together I just think I am extremely glad that he has found one of the nicest, prettiest and most fantastic females in the world.”
Anthony won’t comment on the engagement rumours currently swirling around the couple, but clearly, she has his seal of approval.
“You always want your kids to meet the right person. And he has.” he says, firmly.
Lewis was just seven years old when his talent became apparent.
“Young boys are attracted to things with four wheels. He always loved playing with cars. But it’s not until you actually get in one that you realise you have any ability.
“Fortunately, we put Lewis into a go-kart when he was eight and we realised he had a natural knack of pushing a car fast round a track.
“And right from the start, he was giving it 100 per cent. A couple of years later, when he won his first championship I realised that he potentially had something special. And he loved it.
“Wouldn’t it be great if kids got that excited about doing their homework, or going to school? He certainly had ambition.”
Aged just nine, he went up to McLaren boss Ron Dennis and declared: “My name is Lewis Hamilton and I am going to race for you one day.”
“It was a good move” says Anthony, wryly. “But you know, he was frightened to death when he went up there. For a nine year old, it was like talking to the most important person in the world. But that’s how badly he wanted it.
“And his dedication to his sport brought him an early maturity.
“When you race go-karts at eight years of age, to be so young and in charge of a moving vehicle that potentially has the ability to hurt you or others you grow up very quickly.”
Anthony, who separated from Lewis’s mum Carmen when he was two, gave up his own career in IT to manage his famous son.
In 2010, Lewis dropped Anthony as his manager, which led to a temporary rift, but now all fences have been mended, Anthony is now managing Scottish racing driver Paul de Resta, which means that once again, he is on the circuit with his son - just like in the old days.
“At the age of 11, Lewis was flying to Italy to race go-karts, and I went with him. Lewis never did clubbing or pubbing, he was not interested.
“Our lives for the best part of 16 years were travelling to racing and giving him one hundred percent to achieve his goal of becoming a Formula One racing driver. That is where our family life was headed. ”
But Lewis is not the only racing driver in the family.
His younger half brother Nicholas, 19, whose mother is Anthony’s second wife Linda, is now following in Lewis’ tyre tracks, by establishing a career as a saloon car racing driver, despite suffering from cerebral palsy.
Lewis and Nicholas Hamilton
“Nicholas is doing really well. He has his own struggles in life. But he is saying ‘I’m not going to be a disabled young guy and do nothing. I can do anything I want so I am going to try motor racing.'
“It’s not a decision based on the success of his brother, it’s a decision based on his belief that he can race cars and as an individual, although he is disabled, there is nothing he can’t do in life. Nick is just living life to the full.”
Nicholas drives a specially adapted car. “He has got a modification. He basically has a hand clutch because he can’t use his leg, and he has an extra large brake pedal. But other than that the car is as normal as anyone else's. ”
Anthony is particularly proud of Nicholas’s status as a role model for other young people with disabilities.
“Crowds come to watch him now. Young people with disabilities, who may have believed that they didn’t belong in a certain environment, now believe they do. And that’s down to Nick, and that makes me immensely proud.”
Nicholas developed his driving skills from playing computer games - often in competition with his elder brother.
“They were very competitive on computer games when they were small. Lewis always wanted to win, but Nicholas won most of the time. It’s actually how Nicholas learnt to drive.”
“Lewis learnt his skills in a go-kart on the race track. Nick had learned to drive before he ever got into a car, from simulated games like Cars 2.”
“If we can make a career out of racing for Nick that will be great. We’re not under any illusions, it’s going to be difficult for him. But when he was diagnosed with his disability, I never believed he’d drive a car, let alone race a car.”
“I think what he has achieved is massive. If we have inspired one person then I am happy. I am extremely proud of both of my boys.”
Credit: Mirror (www.mirror.co.uk)
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