Hakkinen to become Hamilton’s new manager soon

Rumours have intensified this week that Mika Hakkinen could soon become Lewis Hamilton’s manager.

In the wake of the McLaren driver’s professional split with his father Anthony, 25-year-old Briton Hamilton has been perusing offers from potential managers.

1998 and 1999 world champion Hakkinen, 41, already works with a young F3 driver at his own manager Didier Coton’s Monaco based Aces Group, and said last Sunday: "Perhaps I will come back to F1 as a manager."

The Italian sports daily Tuttosport now reports that the formalisation of a deal between Aces/Hakkinen and Hamilton could be made in the very near future.

Hamilton’s career is currently handled by McLaren, but team boss Martin Whitmarsh is pushing his driver to appoint a "dispassionate, independent" manager.

Hakkinen won his two world championships with McLaren and retired in 2001.