Lewis Hamilton has parted ways with his manager Penni Thow, reuniting with Marc Hynes ahead of the 2024 season. The pair worked together between 2016 and 2021 with the legendary Brit securing four of his seven World Championships during their time as partners.
Thow and Hamilton worked together as part of a three-year contract between 2021 and 2023, but these three seasons were unable to yield a World Championship as Max Verstappen and Red Bull followed up their 2021 title triumph with two dominant years at the head of the field.
Discussing his split from Thow and her management company, Copper, a spokesperson for the seven-time world champion told The Telegraph: “The management agreement between Penni Thow and her company Copper with Lewis Hamilton came to its natural end in December 2023, after the expiry of a fixed term.
“Over the course of the partnership, Penni and her team have supported Lewis’s entrepreneurial vision and together they have launched several exciting ventures. While the management agreement has ended, Copper will remain working with Lewis on some of these joint projects to ensure their continued development and success.
“Over the coming months, Lewis will [be] expanding his company Project Forty Four, which was set up in 2014, and will be making exciting appointments and announcements as he continues to grow his entrepreneurial business and investment interests.
“Lewis is looking forward to the beginning of the new Formula One season and he will be working with Marc Hynes, his long-term friend and former colleague who will be providing his expertise to assist Lewis on the track. Marc will be solely focused on racing activities and supporting Lewis’s commitment to bringing the fight back to the top spot.”
Hamilton will be hoping that the return of Hynes can act as a catalyst for his return to World Championship contention. The 39-year-old climbed from sixth in the 2022 Drivers’ Championship standings to third in 2023, but neither campaign produced Grand Prix victories.
This means that Hamilton’s win drought extends back to the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. However, the legendary Brit’s frustrations will be eased somewhat by Mercedes’ decision to ditch the unpopular design philosophy behind the W13 and W14 this winter, opting for a radical overhaul of their development trajectory in a bid to reign in Red Bull.
Christian Horner’s team finished with over double the points of second-placed Mercedes last year and with just two seasons remaining before the technical regulation changes come into effect in 2026, the Silver Arrows will need to make considerable gains this winter if Hamilton is to have a shot at securing his record-breaking eighth world title.
