Mercedes fans hadn’t even started to get on board with the abysmal result at Bahrain when Lewis Hamilton broke the news of Angela Cullen leaving ahead of the Saudi Arabian GP. Having been with him for 7 years, Angela was undoubtedly part of his inner circle. His former teammate and fierce rival has now come to his rescue, warning him against the tougher days to come.

The news of Lewis and Angela’s split surely caught fans by surprise. Soon after Hamilton made the announcement of her departure through a heartfelt message, many accused her of leaving him at his lowest. Later, rumors filled the market with speculation over the Briton firing her. Following the conclusion of the race in Jeddah, Lewis Hamilton cleared the air over any rift between the two by revealing that they were still in touch and regularly texted each other. Nevertheless, her absence will be a big loss for Hamilton, Nico Rosberg believes.

In an interview with Sky Sports F1, he said, “I think that probably makes things even worse because even though the split apparently was amicable, you know, Angela was a real friend I think also to him.”

“And it’s with your trainer that [you spend] most of the time during a race weekend. You end up also going to dinner in a very small, tight group with maybe a family member and a trainer and that’s it – and for Lewis not to have her as well, I’m sure it’s going to be not ideal, not so nice.”

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Apart from dealing with a slow car, Rosberg felt Cullen’s departure was an added challenge for his former teammate this season.

How Angela Cullen responded to her spilt with Lewis Hamilton

In a beautiful message announcing her leaving, Hamilton talked about how Angela made him a stronger athlete. He thanked her for motivating him to be the best version of himself and also wished her all the luck in her future ambitions. Angela too, put out a heartfelt post on Instagram, putting together a video of the best moments they shared together.

In the post’s caption, she wrote, “Exactly seven years ago on this day I was standing in the F1 paddock for the first time at the Australian GP. Today I’m excited to share that I’m off on my next adventure.”

“Thanks to the Mercedes team, who have been my family for the past seven years. And @lewishamilton you GOAT! It’s been such an honour and pleasure to stand alongside you. I’m so proud of you and everything you have achieved,” Angela added.

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She thanked Lewis for believing in her and urged him to never stop believing in himself.