Lewis Hamilton in major boost before new F1 season as secret weapon returns to Mercedes star’s team

LEWIS HAMILTON has received a major boost ahead of the new F1 season by recruiting his former right-hand man Marc Hynes.

Hynes, a former British Formula Three champion, has known Hamilton, 39, since they were kids.

Marc Hynes is back working with Lewis HamiltonAlamy

AFP

Lewis Hamilton has known him since he was a kid[/caption]

He has previously worked alongside the seven-time world champion at Mercedes, forming part of his inner sanctum, before leaving to run Hamilton’s Project 44 company, overseeing his business interests.

Hynes left Hamilton’s camp ahead of the 2021 F1 season to run his own business as the F1 driver changed his management team.

Hamilton joined media talent manager Penni Throw, who runs PR company Copper, and had worked with the star on a number of other projects.

However, Hamilton’s deal with Copper has now expired and while he will continue to work with Throw on a number of projects, he has returned to Hynes to get him to manage his F1 operations.

The 45-year-old’s return will provide Hamilton with a much-needed confidant that has been missing since he split with long-term performance coach Angela Cullen in March last year.

It comes as Mercedes launch their bid to return to the top step of the podium after seeing Red Bull’s Max Verstappen dominate the sport since he won the title from Hamilton in 2021.

Hamilton is on a winless run that stretches back to December 2021 – the longest barren spell of his F1 career.

Mercedes have delivered two dud cars in successive seasons but the Brackley-based team have enlisted the help of design whizz James Allison to produce a car that can now challenge Verstappen.

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They will launch their car, the W15, on February 14 at Silverstone.

The new season gets underway in Bahrain on March 2.