Anthony Hamilton claims that his son will be a new man in 2012, insisting that F1 has yet to see the real Lewis Hamilton.

Amidst reports of a split with his girlfriend, the pop singer Nicole Scherzinger, and continued concern as to his state of mind - a situation not helped by his demeanour despite having claimed pole position in Korea - Anthony Hamilton is confident that his son will rise to the occasion next season and will be a new man.

"He's turned a corner in everything he's done, his lifestyle and his love of motorsport," Hamilton told BBC Sport. "You've not seen Lewis Hamilton yet, you've seen a young Lewis Hamilton. Now a new Lewis Hamilton is coming."

On paper it doesn't look too bad; 2 wins, 1 pole and 3 fastest laps, and still in with a shout of finishing runner-up in the title fight. However, the reality has been messy; clashes on and off track, countless visits to the stewards, a backfiring joke and a continued public spat with one of the sport's nice guys. All of which has been taken out of all proportion by a media that clearly feels it is the McLaren driver's time to be taken down a peg or three.

"There's only that so much that one person can take - negative criticism," said Hamilton. "Lewis is an extremely talented individual and I tell you what, most of us would not have been able to come back from what he has had to face this year. I think in Korea, he showed just how much of a champion he is, not just as a racing driver but as an individual, just how much of a champion he is.

"Let's face it, he's had a tough year," he added, "he's faced a lot of criticism and yet still, he comes back fighting and can produce results that he did last week. He's an incredible man and an inspiration to so many people."