Lewis Hamilton has lost his right hand in Formula 1: he will no longer work with Angela Cullen

Lewis Hamiltonseven times world champion Formula 1, is going through one of the worst moments since he landed, with all his strength, in the top category of world motorsport. Is that very lazy at the beginning of Mercedeswhich seems to be further and further behind in the performance of the Red Bullthe British suffered a heavy blow: no longer works together with the New Zealander Angela Cullenwho has been working as a physiotherapist and personal assistant since 2016.

“For the past seven years he has been by my side, pushing me to be the best version of myself. I’m a stronger athlete and a better person because of her. So I hope today you’ll join me in wishing him the best for his next steps in the pursuit of his dreams. Thanks for everything Ang, I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you.”Hamilton greeted Cullen in an emotional post on his Instagram account.

With Angela by his side, the rider won four of his seven world championships (2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020). In 2016, in their first year together, the Englishman lost one-on-one with his teammate, the German Nico Rosberg, while in 2021 Max Verstappen snatched the title from him on the last lap and in 2022 he began to suffer the Mercedes debacle .

A very grateful Culler wasn’t far behind and returned the love through a post on the same social network.

“Exactly seven years ago to this day I was in the F1 paddock for the first time at the Australian GP. Today I am thrilled to share that I am off to my next adventure. I am so grateful and happy to have had this incredible journey in F1 and I know my story will continue. Thanks to the Mercedes team, who have been my family for the past seven years, and Lewis Hamilton, the greatest of all time. It has been an honor and a pleasure to be at your side, I am very proud of you and all that you have accomplished. Thank you for supporting me, for believing in me and for showing me the unlimited potential in all of us. I can’t wait for the next chapter. There is nothing that you may not do.” he said goodbye

A bit of history

The relationship between Hamilton and Cullen began in 2016, when the New Zealand physiotherapist filled the void left by Aki Hintsa. The Finnish doctor, who died the same year, guided Hamilton early in his Formula 1 career and mentored Cullen at the Hintsa Performance Academy. Also, the person responsible for crossing their paths.

Is that after 11 years as medical director of McLaren, in addition to having managed 12 drivers on the grid, Hintsa left Formula 1 in 2013 and created a comprehensive health center in Geneva (Switzerland), in which he attached great importance to physiotherapy for avoid non-essential surgery.

Cullen joined in 2014 after meeting a friend, Pete McKnight, at a ski resort in the French Alps and hearing about Hintsa’s work with racers, Olympians and F1 drivers.

“Hintsa’s model and philosophy of wellbeing, which understands that ‘performance is a by-product of wellbeing’, resonated with me and reflected my beliefs and ideals of understanding human performance. It was then that I decided to join as a physical therapist and performance coach at Hintsa Performance,” Cullen told the health center’s website.

Two years later, she became the first physiotherapist to work with a Formula 1 driver. “The biggest surprise is the fact that I work in motorsport,” she admitted. “Historically, riders have had male strength coaches and I think I was the first physical therapist and certainly the first female to participate.”

If Aki had been fundamental for Hamilton to be able to deal with the torments caused by the breakdown of his relationship with his father, when in 2010 he decided that Anthony would stop being his manager, Angela gave him physical and mental stability: she changed the way she English Habits, who went vegan in 2017; she applied the NASA health program, with a focus on sleep to beat jet lag; and has managed to isolate himself from the non-sporting activities that take place every weekend in the paddock, where she assists him in every need: from wearing a helmet to running in one of the heavenly places they share thanks to car racing.

Hamilton traded parties for noble causes. Those photos of Hamilton were no longer seen in the media, as when in 2016 he dressed up as the Joker at a Halloween party in New York he attended with Serena Williams or when a year later he uploaded images of a meeting with Neymar and Victoria’s models Secret in London.

He has evolved into a committed environmental activist, before, and this year for the ‘Black Lives Matter’ campaign, attending a June rally in Hyde Park. As in the circuits, his shadow was Cullen here too.

Soon after, with the F1 season underway but plagued by the coronavirus pandemic, he led the fight in his black jersey before every Grand Prix.

Though he entered her life as her physical therapist, Cullen became involved in Hamilton’s research and made it his own. In his Instagram feed, which is divided between his days in the paddock and his moments of relaxation, but which leaves out his personal life, he promotes the movement that fights to end racial violence.

That almost symbiotic relationship was based on the empathy and respect they both show and also loyalty, a word (loyalty) that both got tattooed on their wrists.

Hamilton’s resignation

Hamilton considered on Friday that Mercedes have lost so much ground at the start of the Formula 1 season that it would take three rival teams to suffer defeats to have a chance of winning at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this weekend.

Red Bull dominated the first race of the year two weeks ago in Bahrain, with double champion Max Verstappen and Mexican Sergio Pérez 1-2. Fernando Alonso surprised with third place for Aston Martin and Caros Sainz Jr. finished fourth for Ferrari.

Hamilton finished fifth, 51 seconds behind Verstappen. And his teammate George Russell was seventh, 56 seconds off the lead. But they would have had a worse result if the engine of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari hadn’t failed towards the end of the race.

“We are not fighting (for the title). We need Red Bull not to finish the race and Ferraris not finishing and maybe not even Aston Martins to win at that point,” Hamilton admitted ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Hamilton is tied with Michael Schumacher for a record seven F1 titles and is the driver with the most wins, with 103, as well as 103 pole positions. He failed to win a race last season for the first time in his career which started in 2007.

His anger is due to the fact that he believes Red Bull didn’t give their best in Bahrain either.

“I think they didn’t even push in that race and I think they may be faster than they looked. They are a second and a half faster per lap in the race,” Hamilton said. And he added: “But I trust everyone 100%. It’s not that they’ve suddenly lost the ability to build great machines, it’s just that we’re nowhere near where we need to be and where we want to be.”

Hamilton criticized Mercedes after the opening race, telling a BBC podcast that Mercedes had paid no attention to him in developing the car for this year. “In retrospect I think I didn’t choose the best words,” said the 38-year-old British driver.

Mercedes chief director Toto Wolff acknowledged in Bahrain that Mercedes made mistakes in developing the car after Russell won just one race last year.

Hamilton added that he is determined to negotiate a new contract and continues to believe he can win again. “I’ve been here a long time and have no plans to go anywhere else,” he said. And he closed: “I will win again. It’s just going to take some time.”

Source: agencies and archives