F1 News: Red Bull Chief Doubles Down On Hamilton Rumour - "Maybe It's Awkward For Lewis?"
In a recent development, Red Bull's Christian Horner reaffirmed his claim that Lewis Hamilton's management had expressed interest in joining Red Bull for the 2024 F1 season. Horner's assertion, made during an interview with the Daily Mail, contradicts Hamilton's denial of such contact.
Key Takeaways
- Horner's Claim: Christian Horner states Lewis Hamilton's camp contacted Red Bull about a 2024 season drive.
- Hamilton's Denial: Lewis Hamilton denies any contact with Red Bull, asserting Horner reached out to him.
- Management Inquiries: Horner maintains a representative from Hamilton's team expressed interest, highlighting common practices in F1 negotiations.
Christian Horner, the chief of Red Bull Racing, has stirred the F1 community with his recent comments about Lewis Hamilton. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Horner revealed that Hamilton's camp did make inquiries about a possible seat at Red Bull for the 2024 F1 season. This revelation came as a surprise, particularly in the buildup to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final event of the 2023 season.
Horner was quoted by RaceFans:
“They were just expressing interest. But that’s not unusual, let’s put it that way.
“Maybe it’s slightly awkward for Lewis, obviously, with his own team. It’s not unusual for people to reach out.
“I’m not going to go into the details of the where, who and why, but perhaps they wouldn’t be doing their job if they didn’t.
“I’d be rather surprised if they hadn’t informed Lewis but you never know how managements work with different athletes.”
Contrary to Horner's claims, Hamilton rejected these assertions.
On Thursday, he responded by saying:
"No, I didn't approach them… Christian messaged me. I've checked with everyone in my team, and no one has spoken to them. But they have tried to reach out to us.
“I picked up my old phone, which I just found at home, that had my old number on it.
"I switched it on and obviously hundreds of messages came through and I realised there was one from Christian to get together and have a chat at the end of the season…
"I just replied to him on my new phone. It was after a weekend. It was quite late on that I found the message. It was from earlier on in the year. So, it was like months later.”
Hamilton continued:
"There's a lot of people here that like to drop my name in many conversations because they know it's going to make waves.
"If you're a little bit lonely and aren't getting much attention, it's a perfect thing to do.
"Just mention my name.”
As the F1 community buzzes with these conflicting statements, it remains to be seen how this story will unfold.