“I love her dearly” - Lewis Hamilton opens up about split with Angela Cullen and who might replace the Kiwi physio

Lewis Hamilton announced ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix earlier this year that he has parted ways with his trainer Angela Cullen, bringing an end to their seven-year association.

Neither Hamilton nor Cullen explained the reasons for their split, though both have always maintained that it was an amicable one. As rumors of a rift between the pair began to circulate, the Mercedes driver was quick to shut them down.

Speaking about Cullen ahead of the 2023 Australian GP, Hamilton said that they are in regular contact and stated that they will continue to see each other despite not working together anymore. He told Sky Sports:

“Angela is living her life right now. She’s got so many ideas of things she wants to do. We message pretty much every day. We are still going to skydive together. We are always going to be in each other’s lives. We’re stuck with each other, unfortunately, or fortunately!”

The 38-year-old added:

“We’ve been through thick and thin. I am grateful our relationship is as good as it is. We’ve probably had one of the longest relationships I would say in the sport. I am incredibly grateful for her, I love her dearly.”

Hamilton also revealed that Stephen Lord, who was his race team coordinator and moved to Mercedes from McLaren with the seven-time world champion, has been helping him out since Cullen's departure. He said:

“I think now I have got one of the guys, Stevo [Stephen Lord], who has been with me since my first race with McLaren, is helping me out as well.”

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“It’s incredibly intimate, you become great friends” - Lewis Hamilton on importance of having a team in F1

Lewis Hamilton also touched upon the importance of a physio and a team for any driver in Formula 1. He stated:

“For medical, trainer applications, physios, stuff like that. It’s an incredibly challenging role for anyone in those positions. It’s a lot of travelling, a lot of time away from family.

"You grow incredibly close together - during your weekends or where you're travelling, it's usually you or your trainer or physio. It’s incredibly intimate in that sense - you become great friends.”

The Mercedes driver also recalled the help he received from Aki Hintsa, a former McLaren doctor who played a big part in his early F1 career. He said:

“Well when I started in F1, my dear friend Aki [Hintsa], passed away from cancer, had a huge influence on me, getting into a team and started up this company that was servicing athletes - pretty much all the drivers use Hintsa.”