WHEN Lewis Hamilton lost his crown as the king of F1 back in December, he was comforted by confidante and performance coach Angela Cullen.
The 47-year-old New Zealand mum-of-two has been a constant presence in the seven-time world champion’s life in the paddock since 2016.
Lewis Hamilton and Angela Cullen share a special bond
Cullen has been a constant presence in the paddock for Hamilton since 2016
Their bond is so strong they share matching ‘Loyalty’ tattoos on their wrists.
If he is to wrestle back supremacy this season from Max Verstappen, he will need to lean on Cullen, who he has called “the greatest thing to happen to him”, for sage advice.
The only lady for Lewis
Last October, Hamilton forced his way into the title reckoning by winning three races in a row.
After a wretched start to the season, he was back on the trail of Verstappen.
His attentions for his thrilling comeback to keep his season alive went straight to Cullen.
Hamilton revealed: “Angela and I are naturally incredibly close. We pretty much live together.”
Previously, he said: “People for sure won’t understand it, naturally, because they see it from a distance, but she has been one of the greatest things that’s happened to me in my life.
“I’ve been fortunate to work with a lot of people… and she’s the single hardest-working woman that I get to be around.
“She’s focused, selfless, and she makes my weekends peaceful. Every day I wake up, whatever time it is, she’s just positive – never a single day has she been negative, so that’s very, very important.”
A physiotherapist by trade
Born and raised in Auckland, Cullen played hockey for New Zealand between the ages of 15 and 21.
She completed a health science degree, majoring in physiotherapy, in her homeland before moving to the UK.
When Cullen arrived on our shores, she worked with track and field athletes, cyclists, and triathletes on the British Olympic team and at the English Institute of Sport.
Cullen cheers on Hamilton at the Mexican Grand Prix in 2018
Hamilton’s beloved bulldog Roscoe is trusted with Cullen
But it was colleague Peter McKnight who pushed her towards the direction of Hamilton, suggesting the pair should work together.
“At the time, Angela was mainly working with corporate clients, but when the opportunity to work with Lewis came up we thought, ‘Why not give this a go?’” McKnight told Telegraph Sport.
“It has worked out perfectly.
“There’s also just something quirky about it: a woman in her forties, with a family at home, two young kids, and then there’s this mid-thirties racing driver. It might seem a really weird match, but it just works.”
Glam life
Now based in Switzerland, Cullen is married to a cycling coach and has two children.
Although, working in F1 means she enjoys the jet-set lifestyle and is rarely home when the season commences.
The outdoor adventure-type often shares her exploits on Instagram, where she has an astonishing 320,000 followers.
“I am so blessed in my job for many things but one of the most significant in terms of well-being is being on the move the entire day,” she once posted.
“On any given race weekend day I can do up to 18,000 steps, this is such a blessing… and I don’t sit down at all.
“This is a choice… staying upright, moving keeps my body fit and mobile, in a world where computers and devices are making us more sedentary, to be able to move constantly throughout the day is such a blessing.”
With Cullen by his side, Hamilton will be hopeful he can retain his title from fierce rival Max Verstappen
What she provides Lewis is simple. She blocks out the pressures and demands on him during a race day.
She said: “I see my role as removing the noise of the race weekend to ensure things run as smoothly as possible, managing schedules, and timings of travel, nutrition, focusing on energy management to ensure the driver arrives on Sunday with the best possible perpetration to give the optimal performance.”
If Lewis is successful in overcoming Verstappen this coming season, Cullen will be in some way responsible for his success.
