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Hamilton made the comments ahead of this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and in the context of Max Verstappen’s father Jos offering his views on the Christian Horner controversy.
Following the Bahrain GP, Verstappen Sr made his first comment on the ongoing saga, warning that the Red Bull team would be “destroyed” if Horner remained in charge following an internal investigation after a colleague made allegations.
MORE: What’s behind efforts to take down Red Bull F1 team boss Horner?
Told about Verstappen Sr.’s comments, Hamilton admitted he hadn’t heard them but made it clear he didn’t think they were appropriate.
“I don’t know the details,” he said. “So I don’t know what he bases these foundations on.
“But at the end of the day, he’s not part of the team, he’s a father. And that’s just an opinion, but it’s definitely not useful.”
Hamilton’s previous career was managed by his father Anthony, who was always present at the races and in the pits.
However, this put a strain on their relationship and the pair agreed to discontinue the arrangement as Hamilton subsequently sought the support of professional managers.
When asked how difficult it was to have a father closely involved in a driver’s career, Hamilton made it clear that it wasn’t easy to make it work.
Anthony Hamilton
Photo by: Sutton Images
“I think it’s a very fine line to walk,” he said. “I think it also depends on your relationship with your parents.
“You know some people who have a great relationship with their parents, and have been amazing parents, and then there are people who have had bad relationships. And these are not necessarily the parents who have been good to them.
“So I don’t know about his (Verstappen’s) relationships. Obviously, you hear things here and there. But Max is a grown man, a champion and I’m sure he can make his own decisions.
“But I think in our world, as drivers, it’s very, very easy to get fooled by people who whisper in your ear and maybe don’t always guide you down the right path.
“I’m not saying it’s like that there, because they are doing very well. But I know that in sports, other athletes that I’ve talked to, that I watch, whether it’s in tennis, and I’ve experienced it, when sometimes you don’t have the right guidance around you, it leads you to make the wrong decisions, or not being able to perhaps be the best at what you do.
“But clearly that’s not the case there, he’s performing well. So it’s very difficult, because you want your parents to be your parents and have a good relationship. But when it comes to business, everything becomes really difficult.”
Kevin Magnussen, who like Verstappen is the son of a former F1 driver, also questioned the close involvement of the parents.
The Haas driver said he asked his father, Jan, not to play a role in his management during his F1 career, which began in 2014.
Kevin Magnussen, Haas F1 Team and Jan Magnussen
Photo by: Alexander Trienitz / motor sports images
“I think from the beginning of my career I made it very clear to my father that I didn’t want his influence,” he said.
“I think he had to adapt to that, but I was very, very clear that I wanted this to be my trip, my project. He had his own career, so he should focus on that.
“And he’s been super good at it. I tried to learn from my father as much as possible, and it’s been a real privilege to have him who I really fed off of and then learned from and asked questions of throughout my life.
“But when it comes to competing and taking care of my own career, I didn’t want his influence. I’ve had my own team of people, I haven’t asked my dad, I’ve just done my own thing. So I think it worked out well.”