He was also effusive in his praise of his former client, describing him as “a
very talented driver”, adding that it was “a real shame” Di Resta did not
have a seat in Formula One this season.
Di Resta, for his part, simply said: “This has been a difficult year and I am
just pleased to put it behind me and to concentrate on my racing. I am
looking forward to racing in DTM for Mercedes this year and to the future
ahead.”
It is unclear whether any money has changed hands as part of the settlement,
but an order has been filed dismissing the claims, suggesting it was
unsuccessful.
The High Court had heard how Di Resta alleged he was deceived by Hamilton, who
he accused of intending to use a British Virgin Islands company, Belir
Associates, in order to make a €1 million (£845,000) profit on a sponsorship
deal for the Scot with energy drinks company Go Fast.
Di Resta was accused by Hamilton’s counsel of being “totally unreliable
witness” who was “fixated” with the possibility of the Go Fast windfall,
while Hamilton’s evidence was described as “bonkers”.
Hamilton even said it was acceptable for a Formula One driver’s manager to
“swerve” the truth as long as it was to advance his client’s career.
It also emerged during the proceedings that when he managed his son, Lewis,
Hamilton had received a £3 million gift from the 2008 world champion,
despite initially denying it to the court.
Hamilton’s precise involvement in Formula One 2014 is not clear, while Di
Resta will return to DTM having been replaced at Force India by Nico
Hulkenberg and Sergio Pérez.