Lewis Hamilton has assured Martin Whitmarsh, the McLaren-Mercedes team principal, that his search for a new manager will not distract him from his quest to once again become the Formula One world champion.
Whitmarsh expressed concern at the weekend that Hamilton could lose focus this season if he allowed matters ongoing in his private life to affect his racing.
Hamilton has been without a manager since splitting from his father, Anthony, just before the start of the season. The 25-year-old and Whitmarsh have since received numerous offers from a variety of people, some high profile, others more of a jokey nature.
Whitmarsh is worried one of the leading international players will attract Hamilton into their fold, and turn his head with celebrity at a time when he is chasing a second world title.
It is why Whitmarsh is hoping Hamilton will wait until the winter before turning his attention to a new manager, and the Briton has agreed.
"Martin's obviously played a key role in my career, and for me the championship is the key, so all focus has to go on that," Hamilton said. "I don't believe there should be a point in the year when I'm distracted. That's never me.
"If I feel trying to search for a manager and working on something is going to distract me from winning the championship then I'll can it.
"I will not let a single thing come between me and my focus for a championship, so that's not a bother."
In fact, Hamilton is quite relaxed about his management situation and sees no reason why he should be hurried into an appointment.
"As you've seen I'm not rushed, I've not had any meetings, I don't have any meetings booked, I don't have any plans," Hamilton said.
"I'm still reading over all the information I've got about all the different people, and over time I'll take a view.
"But there is no rush. It's really for next year. This year is fine."
* PA
It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
