Lewis Hamilton in bitter legal battle with Italian developer over £3.5m Caribbean love nest

FORMULA 1 champ Lewis Hamilton is locked in a legal battle over a £3.5million love nest he planned when he was with Nicole Scherzinger.

Lewis, 31, wanted a luxury Caribbean villa as a hideaway for him and the X Factor judge.

The five-bedroom pad on Grenada was built to his specifications — including a recording studio for the 38-year-old US singer.

But when the couple split in February last year Hamilton pulled out of the deal. That left the developer with a custom-built home and no one to buy it.

Italian developer Bernardo Bertucci has now taken the Brit race ace to court to recoup his costs.

The home is described as being an “amazing waterfront villa with private gym, recording studio, gourmet kitchen, sunset lounge area and private jetty with the best view in the Caribbean”.

Bernardo said: “I really trusted him, and we made a lot of changes in the original design.

“After six months he broke up with his girlfriend. One day when the villa was half built I received an email from him saying that he didn’t want to go ahead.

“It’s a sad story but these things happen. I am pretty sure he knows he didn’t behave correctly with me.”

The deal was done over email and Hamilton had not paid a deposit.

Lewis won the first part of the case in the Grenada Supreme Court last year and is trying to fight off an appeal by Bernardo.

The developer, who has put the home on the open market, said: “I didn’t want to take legal action but it is very difficult to sell a personalised villa like this.”

He added: “I met him personally and he was very excited about the villa.

“He told me that when he finished racing he wanted to live a quiet and relaxing life in Grenada, where his father was originally from.”

A spokesman for Lewis declined to comment last night.

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368