Lewis Hamilton had a difficult time after his breakup with Nicole Scherzinger, reveals former McLaren man

Former McLaren communications director Matt Bishop claims Lewis Hamilton's breakup with former Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger affected his F1 performance. The Briton famously dated the pop idol during his early career with McLaren but broke up in 2011.

Hamilton found immense success with the Woking-based team in 2007 and 2008, having won his first drivers' title in the latter year. However, the driver struggled to keep up with the rest from 2009 to 2012 as the sport saw the era of Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull's dominance.

Part of the reason why the now seven-time world champion was unable to perform in his later McLaren years was due to his ongoing personal problems at the time. The Briton was in a deep relationship with prominent pop singer Nicole Scherzinger but split with the Pussycat Dolls singer in 2011.

Former McLaren communications director Matt Bishop reckons Lewis Hamilton was deeply in love with Scherzinger and struggled emotionally after his breakup.

Bishop told the BBC about Hamilton:

“He was very upset about that. He did love Nicole.”

---

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell make up the best pairing on the grid, claims Toto Wolff

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff claimed that Lewis Hamilton and George Russell together form the best driver lineup on the grid. The duo was fairly consistent in 2022, with Russell showcasing his talent throughout the year.

Hamilton has established himself as one of the best drivers in the sport in his 16-year career, having won seven world titles. However, he failed to impress in the first half of the 2022 season as his team's challenger was riddled with porpoising.

Former Williams driver Russell, on the other hand, proved his worth in the Brackley-based squad with multiple top-five finishes over the season.

Wolff claimed that Russell is self-critical and makes the best pairing on the grid with Hamilton. He said of the two drivers to GPFans:

"Like at the beginning of the year, you could say George was doing very well, and then in the last third of the year, it was Lewis Hamilton. But in terms of optimum performance, we have the combination of the two best drivers, the strongest lineup."

It remains to be seen whether the Silver Arrows will return to the top of the sport any time soon.