The father of former Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has accused another driver of making unfounded allegations of fraud and incompetence that damaged “my good reputation”.

Anthony Hamilton told the High Court in London that Paul Di Resta's allegations “attracted a lot of bad press and has had a serious effect on my family and my business”.

He had been the manager of Mr Di Resta, who drives for Sahara Force India Formula 1 team, until he was sacked in 2012. He is suing the driver for loss of earnings and wrongful termination of their contract.

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Mr Di Resta disputes the claim and said in a witness statement that as manager Mr Hamilton “was not taking a professional approach to seeking sponsorship for me”. He added: “He wholly failed to deliver.” The hearing continues.