He's one of the 'greatest racers of his time' but off-track, Lewis Hamilton is so ruthless he's fired his own dad and ditched broody girlfriends in the name of success
WITH a £130 million penthouse in Monaco, five winners' titles under his belt and a stunning new girl on his arm every week, F1 driver Lewis Hamilton appears to have it all.
But the 33-year-old, worth a whopping £218 million, was hit by a huge backlash after referring to his hometown of Stevenage as "the slums" last night.
Yet this isn't the first time Lewis' public mask has slipped to show what many people see as his true, and ruthless, pursuit of success.
A source close to the sportsman told Sun Online: "Lewis must know he hasn't acted the right way to a lot of people over the years and he knows he was out of order at times.
"He know's he takes his ruthless side too far and does regret that about his past.
"The problem is getting these people to forgive him this far on."
With a history marred with family feuds and rumours he ditched Nicole Scherzinger because she wanted a family, Sun Online looks at the cut-throat calls the sports personality has made to further his racing career.
Lewis showed his true ruthless streak in 2010 when, two weeks before the Formula One tournament, he revealed he had sacked his own dad, Anthony.
With his public image at the forefront of his mind, Lewis first claimed he mutually agreed to part ways with his manager dad - who had been championing him from the sidelines since he began go-karting at six-years-old.
Lewis, who seemingly banned his dad from the tournament, then announced: "Dad will miss being here, but it was me who initiated the break. He's got other things to focus on, and I don't want my dad being my manager anymore."
It wasn't until three years later, that IT business owner Anthony revealed the real reasons behind their split.
He said: "He thought, 'Do you know what dad? I am fed up listening to you'. He decided he wanted to be his own man. I was comfortable with that."
Anthony also claimed how Lewis had promised him a £3,154,000 payment as a “thank you” for his 18 years working with him.
During a high court appearance in which Anthony was testifying a damages case against Force India’s Formula One driver Paul di Resta, he said: “It just never happened. I am comfortable with it. It’s not my business. If he says he’s going to do something and he doesn’t that’s his loss."
But according to our source, the fight had devastating consequences since.
The source adds: "There's never been the same relationship between him and his family since he sacked his dad as his manager.
"Lewis knew what a ruthless decision that was at the time but it's only now as he's gotten older that he realises that those kind of things can tear a family apart and leave a lot of ill feeling."
The rumour mill went into overdrive in 2015 with reports that Lewis was due to pop the question to long-term girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger - but their relationship suddenly ended just weeks later.
Numerous sources revealed the reason behind their split had been that Nicole wanted them to have "beautiful babies" but Lewis was unwilling to commit and start a family.
"Lewis said they had to part. She wanted more than he could offer at this stage," a source told The Mirror Online at the time.
While Nicole was said to be heartbroken and struggling with her X factor judging role after their break-up, Lewis swiftly moved on, putting his career first once again.
"We are friends and we can move forward. I'm trying to keep focused on business," he said.
He has had a string of rumoured romances since, with the likes of Kendall Jenner, Rita Ora and Rihanna - but it seems his bid for perfection has always got in the way.
His ex-girlfriend revealed how his personal life was so controlled, he wouldn't even let his girlfriends or staff poo in the wrong toilet.
She told Sun on Sunday: "We were on the way to New York and Lewis went crazy after he found out that the pilot had pooped in the toilet.
“He was going to fire the pilot! He said, ‘Everybody knows that they shouldn’t take a s*** on my plane’. He was really mad.”
She added how he was "so upset" when she went for a "number two" in an out-of-bounds loo.
And three years later, Lewis is still sacrificing his private life for the sake of what he calls his “hunger” for success.
Despite recent rumours he dated Nicki Minaj, Lewis told The Times: "My love life is non-existent, I don't have the time for it", adding how he knows he is "single-minded" in his approach to success.
He added: "When you travel as much as I do, it's hard to keep up a relationship, so I'm of the mindset that I'm not going to do that until I've stopped.
"I want to have kids but I want to be there for them - to be a good and present dad - but I'd be open to it if I happened to come across someone special."
In 2016, just a year after his split from Nicole, Lewis said: "My cars are my babies" - and happily admitted any love interest would always come second.
"I used to say, when I had a girlfriend, 'I'm taking one of the girls out, you can come if you want, but you come second when it comes to the cars."
Despite living in a detached new build in the "nice part" of Stevenage, Lewis infuriated the people living in his Hertfordshire hometown by ruthlessly referring to it as "the slums".
Dressed in a crystal-embellished jacket, a diamond ear-stud and several bling rings at the awards bash on Sunday, Lewis told host Gabby Logan: "It's been a really long journey, a dream for us all, as a family, to do something different, to get out of the slums."
But Twitter users who grew up in the same street as the racing ace were quick to call out his 'rags to riches’ success story blasting his claims as "disappointing".
A super-smart business mogul, Lewis undoubtedly knows that a backstory sells, and it seems it's been working very well for him.
He's said to be one of the most marketable sports stars on the planet, striking deals with Puma, Sony, Mercedes Benz, Bose, and Tommy Hilfiger - earning him millions each year.
His three-year deal with Mercedes is also netting him a reported £100 million, and Lewis still has ownership and copyright of his photographs - meaning any fees to duplicate his pictures will go in his own pocket.
After winning his fifth F1 title this year, it seems like Lewis isn't set to slow down anytime soon, but how many hearts will be broken before he retires from racing?
Despite our source saying "he will always put what he wants first", they added how at Christmas, a time of year focused on family, Lewis is beginning to reflect on his ruthless decisions.
"This Christmas he could be celebrating another wonderful year in one of his pads which includes New York, Colarado and Monaco - but there's a deep loneliness that he really opens up to to his inner circle," they said.
"Lewis knows there's a heavy price to pay for that attitude.
"He's very much a loner these days and with so many people pushed to the outside who used to be there for him, Lewis faces a bigger struggle than anything he's encountered on the track - and that's finally finding someone that he can settle down with.
"But people as successful as Lewis always have a ruthless streak. You can't win five World titles without being the ultimate professional."
