LONDON (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton is looking for a new manager after he and his father Anthony decided to call time on one of the closest partnerships in Formula One.

Britain's Formula One motor racing driver Lewis Hamilton poses for photographs following a Reuters television interview at the McLaren team headquarters near Woking in southern England March 1, 2010. REUTERS/Toby Melville

McLaren’s 2008 world champion, whose career has been guided by his father since he started out in karting at eight years old, told reporters on Tuesday that both felt the moment had come for the relationship to change.

“We’ve been discussing it for a while and it’s only just come out now that we are going to be making some changes,” the 25-year-old driver said in a telephone conference call.

“There’s no need to rush, but at some stage I will find a new manager.”

Hamilton, who will be partnered at McLaren by compatriot and champion Jenson Button when the season starts in Bahrain on March 14, said the decision was more due to his father’s increasing business interests than any desire to strike out as his own man.

“He’s building his sports management business, it’s growing really fast right now,” he said. “I feel he should focus his full attention on that.”

Hamilton senior’s interests include managing Force India reserve driver Paul di Resta and teenage Dutch go-karter Nyck de Vries. He also has some work in football and is setting up an academy to give aspiring youngsters a taste of Formula One cars.

“For me, he’s done his job. Our goal was always to get to Formula One and be world champion,” said Hamilton. “I couldn’t have done it without him.”

“He’s been to every race in my whole life. I don’t know anyone who could say their dad has been there every single race,” he added.

“Whilst I can drive, there’s no way in this world I would be here if it wasn’t for him -- the decisions he helped me make, the routes that he took and the effort that he put into it.”

Hamilton said he would still benefit from his father’s advice but looked forward to being able to just having a beer with him or going on holiday together.

“It’s definitely going to feel weird at the first couple of races but I feel positive about it and I think hopefully in the future it will feel really comfortable,” he added.