What they said… What they did

Lewis Hamilton’s management decision has been criticized by Ecclestone

This month Bernie Ecclestone hit out at Lewis Hamilton’s choice of management describing it as a “disaster”.

Hamilton chose XIX, a more celebrity focused company opposed to one focused on motorsport after parting with his father as his manager. Ecclestone recently spoke out stating that this has not helped his performance in the 2011 season.

“I think he had some personal problems during the year which affected him quite a lot,” said Ecclestone in an interview with The Guardian. “A lot to do with these things, it depends an awful lot on the people you surround yourself with, and who are in a position to influence you.

He added: “I think it’s a disaster. He gets to meet people that probably he wouldn’t have met, and [who] have probably the wrong sort of influence on him. He’s at the age, perhaps, and he has the amount of money, where when he’s influenced, he can carry things through, which he wouldn’t normally have done.”

Hamilton has however staunchly defended his management insisting they have been nothing but good for him and his career.