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via Imago

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Ever since Lewis Hamilton announced the departure of his performance coach Angela Cullen, many speculated about the reason for her ouster. Some felt that things weren’t going too well between the two lately and resultantly, Lewis fired her. Others believed Briton’s version that she wanted to venture out to pursue her own ambitions. Hamilton has now come out to set the record straight and put any and every rumor to bed.

Before the start of the Saudi Arabian GP weekend, Hamilton announced Cullen’s departure with a heartfelt message on Instagram. Some toxic fans, however, did not take well to the news, accusing her of leaving him stranded during a time when he was going through possibly the worst slump in his life and needed her the most.

Fans breathe a sigh of relief as Lewis Hamilton issues clarification on Angela Cullen’s departure

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Right from the practice sessions to the qualifying yesterday, Lewis isn’t having the best time in Jeddah. The 38-year-old could only manage an 8th-fastest finish (but will start in P7 owing to Charles Leclerc’s grid penalty) and talked about his inability to extract the best out of the car. He overall seemed sadder, and many felt it was because of Angela leaving.

In a post-qualifying interview with Viaplay, he told, “She’s moving on to a different phase in her life. We’re still super-close and we have been texting every day. I’m so grateful to have had her with me on this journey. She’s one of my closest friends and she continues to be.”

The statement cleared any rumors of a rift between the duo that was always spotted together in the paddocks, right from their arrival to leaving.

Have a look at some reactions to his comments on Twitter.

Read More: “My Jaw Dropped”: Lance Stroll Kept the F1 World at Halt With Splendid Heroics & a Hope for More Glory in Jeddah

Some fans wished Angela the best for her future plans and endeavors.

Instead of coming back stronger from the underwhelming last year, Mercedes have delivered arguably another non-competitive car. This clearly hasn’t gone down well with Lewis, who earlier accused his team of not taking his feedback seriously. One fan felt this was the time when he needed Angela the most bu his side.

One fan hoped that the duo connected after Lewis’ underwhelming P8 finish in the qualifying on Saturday.

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Apart from Lewis, Max Verstappen, and Charles Leclerc are the other front runners who wouldn’t start from their usual places. Where do you think they will end up on race day? Will any of these three get on the podium?