Just four weeks before the start of the 2026 F1 season in Australia, Lewis Hamilton has reportedly split from manager Marc Hynes.
Hamilton rehired Hines early last year, with the British executive previously a close friend of the seven-time world champion who served as chief executive of Hamilton’s management company Project 44 from 2015 to 2021.
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Hines accompanied the 41-year-old in almost all of last year’s 24 grands prix, overseeing the Briton’s race logistics. The 41-year-old endured a disappointing debut at Ferrari, failing to finish on the podium.
Lewis Hamilton misses podium in first season with Ferrari (Getty Images)
However, Hines is said to have now joined F1’s newest team, American Cadillac Racing, for the upcoming season, and therefore will not be working closely with Hamilton during the 2026 season.
Ferrari declined to comment when contacted The Independent, Cadillac has also been contacted for a statement.
Hines knows Hamilton from his days competing in Formula Junior. According to the Daily Mail, the split between Hynes, a former British F3 champion, and the pair had been amicable.
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The news follows another recent break-up for Hamilton, with the Briton parting ways with racing engineer Ricardo Adami last month after a fraught relationship.
McLaren’s Cédric Michel-Grosjean (formerly Oscar Piastri’s performance engineer) is considered the frontrunner to replace Adami, while Hamilton’s own performance engineer Luca Diera is another option. Bookings are expected to be made for the first game in Melbourne on March 8.
However, Hamilton will retain the services of performance coach Angela Cullen, who returned to Hamilton last year after two seasons away.
Mark Hynes (right) is a close friend of Hamilton (Getty Images)
The British driver has called his 2025 season “the worst ever” after struggling to get the most out of a mercurial Ferrari but ultimately failing to win races.
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Hamilton finished sixth in the drivers’ championship, 86 points behind teammate Charles Leclerc and 267 points behind world champion Lando Norris.
However, Hamilton was encouraged by early testing of Ferrari’s 2026 car, the SF-26. Encouragingly, Hamilton set the fastest time in private pre-season testing in Barcelona last week, ahead of the two official tests in Bahrain (February 11-13 and February 18-20).
Angela Cullen will remain as Hamilton’s performance coach (Getty Images)
“Everyone is positive and very enthusiastic but we have no illusions,” Hamilton said after the test in Barcelona. “We know we still have work to do.
“We don’t know where we are right now, but I think it’s a solid first week and we can really develop from here. We may need to take some big leaps and development will be key.
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“We want to make sure we leave no stone unturned and that our communications and the decisions we make are clear and concise.
“It requires all of us to be at our best and I see everyone coming out with a new energy this year, which is great.”
The 2026 season will kick off with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 8.