Four-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has confirmed that the decision to wipe his social media channels over the wint🍌er break had been long-planned by his management team.

Hamilton sparked controversy in December when he uploaded a video of hiওmself telliඣng a young family member that "boys don't wear dresses", causing a backlash across social media.

Hamilton apologised for the comments before deleting the majority of his posts froℱm both Twitter and Instagram a few days later, seemingly in response to the episode.

However, 💝Hamilton has now revealed that the move was always planned for the winter break by his management team, but that the timing proved to be a happy coincide🐷nce.

"We always planned at the end of the year to start a clean slate at the beginning of th﷽is year. It just so happened that it turned out 𒈔to be an opportunistic time to change it," Hamilton said.

"It’s always difficult to make a change [in approach] because I’m quite happy. But we are in a very strange time in the world where things are magnified more than perhaps there were in preꦑvious years, so it’s a critical ti☂me for the world.

"For me personally, I think I’ll continue to show what I am doing. I think it’s just about being maybe a li👍ttle more strategic in what I do or don’t show.

"It is a gateway to connect my fans in a way that I am not able to do at race weekends, so it wilꦿl continue to be a part﷽ of my life."

Mercedes F1 team boss Toto Wolff was asked if he saw Hamilton's social media activities as a distraction to his racing duties, but was quick to disꦺm✤iss the suggestion.

"I think there is so much crap in the social media.ﷺ What’s big today has no relevance tomorrow," Wolff said.

"The best thing is to entertain yourseܫlf and ig💜nore the haters."