Anthony Hamilton, whose son Lewis last Sunday became Britain's first world champion in 12 years, has admitted a climate of hostility caused him to consider whether formula one was the right place to be.

The admission follows episodes of racism in Spain, boos and abusive chants in Brazil last weekend, and even negativity about his success within his native Britain.

For example, BBC's Radio 5 on Monday invited callers to come clean about what they really think of the 23-year-old McLaren driver.

It sparked a barrage of criticism about Hamilton's Swiss tax exile, his "smug and arrogant" personality, and claims that Sunday's race was a "fix" involving Toyota's Timo Glock.

"The BBC need to put their own house in order before they criticise anyone else," British F1 great Sir Stirling Moss reacted in the Daily Express newspaper.

Anthony Hamilton revealed that the atmosphere has been hurtful.

"Sometimes you wonder whether it is worth staying in formula one, even when it has been your dream for so long," he said.

"We are all human and have feelings. When people behave as they do by taking against Lewis it hurts, and nobody wants that for people they love and care about.

"We are decent people. I don't know why they are doing what they are doing, but I just hope god can forgive them," Hamilton added.

Source: GMM