…It doesn't rain for Lewis Hamilton right now, it just pours.
The seven-time world champion is not only up against it as he bids to compete at the front of the grid in F1, but now he's lost the services of a figure whose been pivotal to his previous success. Hamilton is currently in Saudi Arabia for the second Grand Prix race of the season, having struggled to fifth place in Bahrain earlier this month.
And whilst in Jeddah, he's confirmed the end of his working relationship with physiotherapist and chief confidante Angela Cullen. Hamilton has made no secret of how much he values the New Zealander, who has assisted him since 2015.
The 48-year-old, who lives in France, has since helped oversee six of Hamilton's Championship victories. And she isn't short of sporting credentials herself, having played age group hockey at international level for her country and competed in a cycling tour in South America in 2006.
But in an emotional Instagram message, he shared a picture of the pair and wrote: “For the last seven years, Angela Cullen has been by my side, pushing me to be the best version of myself,” he wrote. “I am a stronger athlete and a better person because of her.
“So today I hope you'll join me in wishing her the very best as she takes her next steps to pursue her dreams. Thank you for everything Ang, I can't wait to see what the future has in store for you.”
Hamilton has previously described Cullen as “one of the greatest things that's happened to me” and indeed, the pair even had matching tattoos of the words ‘loyalty'. And the split couldn't have come at a worse time for the 38-year-old, as fears grow over his F1 future