Lewis Hamilton slams Christian Horner for "stirring things" with Red Bull claim
Lewis Hamilton has slammed Christian Horner for "stirring things" after the Red Bull chief claimed Britain's seven-time world champion wanted to race alongside Max Verstappen.
Hamilton signed a new two-year contract with Mercedes – understood to be worth £50million a year – in August to extend his stay in Formula 1 beyond his 40th birthday. His commitment to his current employers came amid a season of struggle for the Silver Arrows, with Verstappen easing to a third consecutive world title in a dominant Red Bull car.
There was speculation over Hamilton’s future for much of the season and Red Bull team principal Horner has now claimed they received an approach from his representatives before he committed to Mercedes. The Red Bull chief also said the Brit was in dialogue with Ferrari chairman John Elkann.
But Hamilton, speaking ahead of this weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, has slammed Horner for speaking out publicly - and says reports that he wanted to quit Mercedes are false. He told Sky Sports: "I don't really get where that story has come from. I don't know what he is talking about because as far as I am aware, nobody from my team has spoken to him. I haven't really spoken to him in years.
"He did reach out to me earlier in the year about meeting up but that's it. I congratulated him on an amazing year and said I hoped I would be fighting with Red Bull in the coming years. That was it, there was no confidential discussion.
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"I think he is just stirring things, he loves that kind of stuff. I would be more than happy to race against Max in an equal car but for me, moving from a car that is not so great to a winning car is not a dream for me.
Christian Horner and Lewis Hamilton might have been on the same side at Red Bull had things gone differently (Getty Images)"The dream for me is to start where we are now and build up to winning. That is why I stayed with Mercedes. Red Bull has done an amazing job and is an amazing team and any driver would love to drive for such a great group of people."
Hamilton's comments are a strong-worded response to Horner's surprising claim in which he opened up on contract talks this season. “We have had several conversations over the years about Lewis joining,” Horner told the Daily Mail.
“They have reached out a few times. Most recently, earlier in the year, there was an inquiry about whether there would be any interest. He met John Elkann (Ferrari chairman), too. I think there were serious talks. But I can’t see Max and Lewis working out together. The dynamic wouldn’t be right. We are 100 per cent happy with what we have.”
The 2023 F1 season concludes this weekend in Abu Dhabi, where Hamilton was controversially beaten to the drivers’ championship by Verstappen in the final race in 2021. Hamilton has not won a race in two seasons and will finish third in the standings this year, while the Dutchman is bidding for his 19th win of a record-breaking campaign.
“We want to get back to the top, and back to fighting for world championships. We are in this together,” Hamilton said when his new deal was announced in August. "We have a lot of work to do, but there is nowhere else I would rather be. You are all stuck with me for a little bit longer.”
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