Video: Being part of family with racing in its blood
Since Lewis Hamilton was crowned King of Formula 1 people have been hailing his father Anthony, as the power behind the throne.
Since Lewis Hamilton was crowned King of Formula 1 people have been hailing his father Anthony, as the power behind the throne.In the close-knit karting world, it is often fathers chasing a dream which spurs the young drivers on.
And in a world where money is the driving force and the pursuit of success can end in tatters – and even bankruptcy – the strain on father and son relationships can be severe as Kirsten Beacock found out.
ONE city man knows exactly how Lewis Hamilton's father Anthony will be feeling after finally guiding his son to their ultimate dream of winning the F1 drivers' championship.
Former World and British Karting champion Tim Parrott (46) has also experienced the highs and lows of being a driver and encouraging his own son on the road to racing glory.
Crowland-based Tim, who runs Parrott's Fish Bar in Midgate, Peterborough, was a contemporary of Formula One driver Johnny Herbert, and his eldest son Martyn spent six months racing against Lewis.
Tim said: "Racing is in the blood, my father got into karts when they first came to Britain in the '60s and he sparked my interest which I then have passed to my sons.
"I came up the karting ranks and raced at tracks such as Silverstone. I had five or six years at the top and was the youngest World Karting Champion, but it was a different life then."
Within hours of triumphing on the world famous Le Mans circuit in France, Tim piled his family, including his two young sons into a car, and drove through the night to be back in his chip shop serving up fish suppers to his city customers.
He said: "I was lucky enough to be sponsored by Kodak, which meant I could travel to France and compete in world events but to get to the next stage was too much money. In those days it cost 30,000 to test drive for Formula 1. That was a massive amount of money and nearly two years' wages at the time. I don't kid myself I would have got that far, but I could have got into the touring cars circuit."
Tim said he was full of admiration for the work Anthony had put in in the pursuit of glory for Lewis, even to the extent of sacrificing family relationships.
He said: "Anthony from the start said Lewis was his business and that he was going to take him all the way. Credit where credit is due, he pushed it as far as he could go and now they live in Geneva.
"Even though he got that multi-million pound McLaren deal, there was still some lean years when sponsorship contracts were hard to get, so at the end of the day he deserved the luck.
"But the strain on the family is huge. My now ex-wife was what you call a karting widow as I was away a lot travelling and she had to keep the business going, because that was what was paying for the dream."
Tim's son Jason (21) is now continuing the family karting legacy after eldest son Martyn decided it was not for him.
For Tim, following years supporting Jason through the lean times it was allowing him to be his own man that proved to be the biggest challenge.
Tim said: "When you look at Lewis, his dad has never left his side and you can see what a strong bond they have.
"After going through all the trials and tribulations and years of hardship with your kids, it is hard to let go, as I found with Jason. I have had to accept that he is in charge and he makes his own decisions."
For Jason, the third generation of drivers in his family, it is the only life he has known because he started at the tender age of five.After finishing runner-up in the British Championship in 2006, he is now racing for Italian team MGM Racing, competing in the World and European Karting Championship, and has to thank the support of the family business Tim Parrott Motorsport for his continued success.
Jason said: "It's basically a very expensive hobby. Lewis was fortunate to be picked up at a very young age by McLaren and sponsored.
"For me to make the next jump would cost me about 250,000 a year which we just don't have. It's a stupid amount of money, and it's hugely annoying that money makes such a difference."
Jason said that having the business and the team, including brother Martyn, who is a performance mechanic, means he can continue doing what he loves.
He added: "I love driving, winning races keeps you going for another year, it's that addictive.
"What the Hamiltons have done is incredible, the stress of competing puts a lot of strain on relationships and it is fantastic that with his dad as manager they have remained so close with such a strong bond.
"My dad remains very involved, but he is the team boss and not really my manager, which means most of the decisions are up to me."
"I owe my dad so much, there is no way I could repay him for all he has done for me."
In a stark warning to those dream chasers hoping to become the next Lewis Hamilton, Tim said: "For every lad who makes it there are thousands who don't and hundreds who take it to the edge, even bankruptcy. People take out mortgages then second mortgages that they cannot afford because they think their lad will make it.
"My advice is keep your feet on the ground, because talent is just not enough."
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