Four-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has confirmed that the decision to wipe his social media channels over the winter break had been long-pla﷽nned by his management team.

Hamilton sparked controversy in December when he up💫loaded a video of himsel🍰f telling a young family member that "boys don't wear dresses", causing a backlash across social media.

Hamilton apologised for t🃏he comments before deleting the m🌼ajority of his posts from both Twitter and Instagram a few days later, seemingly in response to the episode.

However, H🌼amilton has now revealed that the move was always planned for the w💞inter break by his management team, but that the timing proved to be a happy coincidence.

"We alwaysಌ planned at the end of the year to start a clean slate at the beginning of this year. It just so happened that it turned out to be an opportunistic time to change ⛎it," Hamilton said.

"It’s always di♚fficult 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 previous years, so it’s a critical time for the world.

"For me personall𝄹y, I think I’ll continue to show what I am doing. I think it’s just about being maybe a little 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 itꦦ will 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 dismiss the suggestion.

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

"The best thing is to entertain ♈yourself and ignore the haters."