Lewis Hamilton’s former trainer Angela Cullen has seemingly put the fast life of Formula 1 behind her, by switching the ground for the air!
It was announced ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix that Hamilton and Cullen would be going their separate ways after seven years of working together, with Cullen having been alongside the Mercedes driver for his last four titles.
The news certainly came as a shock given how inseparable they’ve been since 2016, with Cullen having supported Hamilton through several highs and several notable lows.
She was on hand to console the 38-year-old after he lost the 2016 and 2021 titles, both of which were decided at the season finale.
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Since announcing their split, though, she’s already taken to the skies in a very different way, by carrying out her first solo paraglide.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to fly… when I was young I wanted to be a fighter pilot, in fact I still want to fly an F16!” Cullen wrote on Instagram.
“But today I went solo with my paraglider maybe (not the F16 )… but was an amazing experience, so peaceful … chasing dreams.”
Hamilton was quick to post a message on social media whilst in Saudi Arabia thanking Cullen for everything she did for him, with the 103-time race winner having hailed himself as a “better person because of her”.
“For the last seven years @cullen_angela has been by my side, pushing me to be the best version of myself. I am a stronger athlete and a better person because of her,” Hamilton wrote on social media.
“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.”
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Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, though, hinted that it was Hamilton who decided that it was time “for a change” rather than Cullen, suggesting that the Briton is attempting to switch things up in a bid to return to the front.
“We have seen for some time now that Lewis was looking for a change,” Wolff said.
“If things don’t work out anymore, then we need to be honest about it and bring change. I think in every team, this is not a static situation that you can freeze because we all develop as people and as an organisation.”