The source of the level-headed approach that has marked Lewis Hamilton’s remarkable rise to superstardom is apparent after only a few minutes in the company of Anthony, his father, manager and mentor.

“It’s a short career in Formula One and if you’re not careful you can get carried away by the glitz and glamour,” he says. “With the kind of start Lewis has had you can walk around thinking you’re the biggest people in the business, but the business is always bigger than any one person and we never forget that.”

His son’s success is as much a reward for his father’s commitment as it is for Lewis’s talent. Hamilton Sr recognised his boy’s talent for racing remote-control-led cars at a young age, encouraged him to take up karting and supported his career throughout the long and expensive rise to F1. At one point, he had three jobs - his clerical job at British Rail not providing enough to support a very expensive hobby – including putting up signs for estate agents. He now owns an IT business employing more than 20 people, though he is primarily preoccupied with managing his son’s career. While he may appear to be the epitome of a pushy parent, he insists the drive comes from Lewis.

As a 10-year-old, Lewis famously introduced himself to McLaren boss Ron Dennis and told him he wanted to drive one of his cars. “Some people think we planned it but it wasn’t planned,” he said. “Lewis just saw the opportunity and grabbed it with both hands. To me it’s the same as if you were a young, budding footballer in the same room as David Beckham and Sir Alex Ferguson: you’d go and talk to Sir Alex and try to get his attention. Lewis went up to Ron to ask for his autograph and said, ‘I want to drive for McLaren one day’, so Ron signed his autograph book and told him to come back in nine years. In the end he was winning every category so McLaren signed him up two years later.”

Gaining the contract with McLaren felt like winning the lottery, albeit with the winnings put aside for a few years. “It was our Camelot moment,” said Anthony. “Can you imagine what it is like to be told at 12 or 13 years old that you’ve won the lottery and that £100m will be yours but you’ve got to wait 15 years to cash it in?

“That’s what it was like for us. It was the start of having to walk a long road to prove ourselves. It was an amazing opportunity but also an incredible responsibility. You can’t afford to step off the sidewalk, you have to keep on the straight and narrow and focus completely and that is what we did and are doing.”

The McLaren contract had a profound effect on the Hamilton family. “Ron came along and changed not just Lewis’s life but our life as a family. We all had to adapt and behave in a way that would reflect well on him, and this isn’t a complaint, just an observation. None of us could afford to do anything that would reflect badly on Lewis, we all had to become part of his career.”

Anthony is divorced from Lewis’s mother Carmen, but Lewis remains close to both. He also has a strong relationship with his brother Nicholas, who has cerebral palsy. The ease with which Lewis handles the pressure on him does not surprise his father. He smiles at the mention of it. “There’s no secret to that, it’s just Lewis,” he said. “He has been brought up to be polite to people so the paddock is just an extension of his normal life. People seem surprised by his maturity but he’s just doing his job. He’s here to work, not enjoy the lifestyle.

“It’s about preparation. If you’re going to sit for an exam, you make sure you’re prepared for it. If you’re not prepared you can’t expect success. You make your own luck, it doesn’t come knocking at the door, and Lewis is prepared in every aspect.”

Anthony is Lewis’s manager as well as his father. Are the two roles difficult to reconcile? “It is a fine line to walk. I have to find the right thing to say at the right time. After all, how many people take their mother or father to work with them? I want the best for Lewis, he’s worked hard for this and if he bans me from the circuit it will be as his father not his manager.”

There is also the responsibility of fame. “We met this little four-year-old kid who knew nothing about motor racing but now says he wants to be like Lewis. We have a responsibility not to ruin his dream or the dream of kids like him. You can’t afford to go off the rails, you need to set an example. At the end of the day this is a fickle business but if you do an honest day’s work and treat people with respect and act like a decent human being you can make your dreams come true. Lewis is having an amazing effect on people and maybe now the most pressure comes from this side and living up to people’s aspirations, rather than any internal pressure.”

The Lewis effect is set to last, and sometimes in the midst of a crowd, Anthony has his own quiet, proud moments. “I was in a bar in New York when Lewis appeared on television and I felt like telling everyone, ‘This is my son.’ It is a huge feeling of pride to see him doing so well.”