Hamilton splits from dad, but gets back with Nicole

Days after it emerged that Lewis Hamilton's relationship with Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger was back on, the Formula 1 driver has split up with his dad Anthony, revealing that he will no longer be his manager.

The announcement that he is looking for new representation after 20 years working with his father is set to cause a stampede among sports marketing companies, desperate to work with one of the most bankable stars on the planet.

Hamilton said that the decision would not detract from his preparations for the new F1 season, which begins in Bahrain in less than two weeks and had not been made on the spur of the moment.

"It's not destabilising for me," said the McLaren driver. "I'm still fully focused on the season. I feel excited and well-prepared. Dad and I discussed this a long time ago – he had always said that at some point he didn't think it would be right to be my manager. We just never knew when that might be."

He added that he was looking forward to having a proper father-son relationship with his former manager for the first time since he was a young boy.

In the immediate future the McLaren team will look after Lewis's affairs - although they have not always seen eye-to-eye with Anthony. There was tension last year when it emerged that McLaren 'misled' Lewis into lying to race stewards about an overtaking manouevre at the Australian Grand Prix.

The big management companies like IMG and Simon Fuller's 19 Entertainment are already said to be preparing offers for Hamilton, who currently pulls in around £20m a year.

However, most observers suggest that he is likely to sign up with someone who has connections to F1. The Mail names Mika Hakkinen and BBC commentator Martin Brundle as the favourites to take over.

There is also the possibility he could join his new team-mate Jenson Button on the books of Richard Goddard, a self-made millionaire who negotiated Button's lucrative McLaren deal.

It has been a turbulent few weeks for Lewis, who recently patched things up with his popstar girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger of the Pusycat Dolls.

Talking about the rekindled romance he said: "You make it work. You do it any way you can. When something is worth it you do it."

As for Anthony Hamilton, he is not exiting the world of sports management after splitting with his son. He has set up a company that fosters young driving talent and is working with Mark Blundell's management company M2B and has signed up Spurs striker Jermain Defoe. ·