Agents desperate to look after Lewis

A discreet beauty parade is taking place

during the Formula One season to identify

candidates for one of the most sought-after

roles in sport — agent to Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton, whose second place in the Monaco

Grand Prix yesterday — under team orders to

slow down — kept him equal top on points in the

world drivers’ championship, is being chased by

all the top sports agencies. They are all aware

that the grand prix prodigy has no outside consultants

despite his potential to head sport’s

rich list.

Hamilton has already been part of the

McLaren camp for nine years, since he was 13,

and his career path is being guided extremely

closely by McLaren chief Ron Dennis and

Lewis’s businessman father Anthony, who acts

as his manager.

But whatever performance bonuses McLaren

have inserted in his contract, it won’t reflect the

way Hamilton has helped revive Grand Prix racing’s

profile almost single-handedly in 2007. Currently

he’s being paid just £340,000 a year

(7500,000) compared to team-mate Fernando

Alonso’s £10.8million (716m).

Dennis, whose team have rigid rules involving

driver image rights, doesn’t want his star property

to have an agent and doesn’t think one is

necessary, preferring to make all the decisions

regarding Lewis with the driver and his father.

Anthony, despite agents queuing around the

block to represent his son, is in no hurry to

change the current position. He has had meetings

with three agents, while others are being

asked to send him their proposals.

Hamilton senior said: ‘We’re having talks with

some agents to hear what they can offer. But

there is no timescale to this. Maybe next season,

may be later down the line. At the moment we’re

just listening to agents inside and outside motor

racing. Rest assured we’re covering every angle

involving Lewis. Everything is being done for his

benefit and we know what we’re doing.’

Roman Abramovich, whose interest in

motor racing is not strong enough for him

to put money in it, parked two of his super

yachts away from Monaco in Beaulieu and was

spotted dining in the Cadillac restaurant in

St Jean Cap Ferrat with girlfriend Daria.

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Fulham chairman and Harrods boss Mohamed

Al Fayed moored his boat in the middle of the

Monaco action, close to Bhs boss Sir Philip

Green, who has Stirling Moss just down the

jetty — handy, as Moss’s wife Susie is the sister

of Green’s wife Tina.

Ron Dennis’s ban on Red

Bull’s F1 newspaper, Red

Bulletin, from the McLaren

motorhome because he

think it is 'rubbish' sparked a quick response

from Dietrich Mateschitz.

The Red Bull boss ordered

that the next issue should

ask if Dennis wants to be his press

officer, as he has given them

so much publicity.

ITV’s motor-racing coverage is suffering because

of the obsession with celebrity over broadcasting

ability. Mark Blundell, who was chosen to

replace the excellent Tony Jardine as a pundit,

isn’t articulate enough to get his views across,

according to widespread paddock opinion.

Blundell is a business partner of ITV F1 cocommentator

Martin Brundle, who is regarded

as one of the best analysts in any sport.

Meanwhile Red Bull’s David Coulthard, who is

managed by Brundle, is tipped for an ITV role

when he retires from driving.

The campaign by Simon Fuller’s 19 agency

to promote the environment on Honda’s F1

cars has been backed by Sarah Ferguson and

her daughters, the princesses Eugenie and

Beatrice. They pledged to improve their

carbon footprint on the Honda website,

myearthdream.com.

Fergie intends to buy a

hybrid car for her New York base, Eugenie

promises to use eco-friendly lightbulbs and

Beatrice will be recycling as much as possible.