Hamilton reunites with Hynes as Copper management deal ends

A former British Touring Car Championship racer and the 1999 British Formula 3 champion, Hynes struck up a friendship with Hamilton when the youngster drove for John Booth’s Manor team in Formula Renault and F3 as he worked his way through the ranks. Hynes served as a driver coach for Manor and remained close to Hamilton after he made it to F1.

In December 2015, he took a job that involved focusing on building the Project 44 organisation that was set up by Hamilton a year earlier, as well as looking after his day-to-day activities while being on hand at races.

Hynes left Hamilton’s employ at the start of 2021. He subsequently became a key part of Zhou Guanyu’s management team, working with his longtime associate and former Manor/Marussia colleague Graeme Lowdon. The company that they own together, Equals Management, will continue to work with the Chinese driver.

From 2021-23, Hamilton worked with Copper and its Canadian-born boss Penni Thow, primarily focussing on expanding Project 44 and pursuing ventures outside racing, including the Mission 44 charitable foundation, an Apple+ TV documentary project and the Apple-backed Brad Pitt F1 film, which Hamilton is a producer of.

Photo by: Sam Wallander

Penni Thow, Sports and Media Talent manager

Despite the end of their main management contract, Hamilton will continue to work with Thow on some of the ongoing projects, such as the Pitt movie.

Meanwhile, Hynes will focus on Hamilton’s day job in racing rather than on marketing activities, with further appointments expected to bolster the driver’s management team as he continues to undertake projects outside the sport.

A spokesperson for Hamilton told Autosport: “The management agreement between Penni Thow and her company Copper with Lewis Hamilton came to its natural end in December 2023, after the expiry of a fixed term. 

"Over the course of the partnership, Penni and her team have supported Lewis’s entrepreneurial vision and together they have launched several exciting ventures.

“While the management agreement has ended, Copper will remain working with Lewis on some of these joint projects to ensure their continued development and success.

“Over the coming months, Lewis will [be] expanding his company Project 44, which was set up in 2014, and will be making exciting appointments and announcements as he continues to grow his entrepreneurial business and investment interests.”

“Lewis is looking forward to the beginning of the new F1 season and he will be working with Marc Hynes, his long-term friend and former colleague who will be providing his expertise to assist Lewis on the track.

“Marc will be solely focussed on racing activities and supporting Lewis’s commitment to bringing the fight back to the top spot.”