Lewis Hamilton and Nicole Scherzinger split up

Date published : 11 Jan 2010 - 09:44:09

The 25-year-old British racing driver and US pop star, 31, said they wanted to concentrate on their careers. A joint statement from their spokesmen confirmed: ''Nicole Scherzinger and Lewis Hamilton can confirm that they have decided to go their separate ways. ''The two of them have decided to focus fully on their careers and will remain close friends.'' The pair started dating after meeting at the MTV Europe Awards in Munich in November 2007. Former world Formula 1 champion Hamilton said he was like a ''besotted schoolboy'', while Scherzinger, who accompanied Hamilton to Grand Prix around the globe, called him her ''soulmate''. Reports last month said the high-profile pair were close to separating because of the racing driver's reluctance to settle down. Hamilton, who previously dated beauty queen Vivian Burkhardt, is hoping to win back his F1 title this year but faces competition from current world champion Jenson Button as his McLaren teammate and Michael Schumacher, who is out of retirement.