On the cusp of the 2023 season finale in Abu Dhabi, Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team boss, ignited the Formula 1 world with a startling and mischievous revelation. He suggested that Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, was in covert discussions not only with Red Bull but also with Ferrari amidst his contract extension talks with Mercedes. This claim set the stage for a narrative full of intrigue and undisclosed maneuvers in the high-stakes world of F1 racing.
Hamilton, at 38 years old and with a career laden with driving as well as tactical mastery, did not outright deny these interactions. However, he firmly refuted Horner’s insinuation that it was his camp initiating these talks. “I never contacted Red Bull, and neither did my team,” Hamilton declared in Abu Dhabi, disentangling himself from the naughty narrative spun by Horner.
The twist in this tale, he said, involved an old phone. “I took out my old cell phone with my old number, turned it on and logically had hundreds of messages,” Hamilton explained. Among these messages was a crucial one from Horner himself, extending an invitation to discuss potential opportunities.
Hamilton’s response to what he claims was a long-overlooked message was therefore belated, coming months later from a new phone number. “I found the message quite late – it was from earlier this year. So it (the answer) was months later,” he elaborated, painting a picture of a miscommunication rather than a clandestine plot.
As for Horner’s motives in bringing this to light, Hamilton saw it as an attempt to stir the pot, especially with Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team boss. “It’s not the first time my name has been used to make a splash,” Hamilton remarked, indicating a deeper game being played in the paddock.
As for Max Verstappen, Red Bull’s formidable triple world champion, he remained dismissive of the unfolding drama. “No, because it’s not happening,” he stated, refusing to indulge in hypotheticals about teaming up with Hamilton. However, Hamilton expressed a willingness to partner with Verstappen, although he doubted Verstappen’s enthusiasm for such a pairing.
Hamilton insisted that his only focus is on his confirmed two-year future with Mercedes, despite the rumors and speculation and pot-stirring. “We still have a lot of work to do to catch up with Red Bull,” he admitted. “We don’t know how much faster Max could have gone when he was ahead. I just hope our 2024 car doesn’t become a replica of our current one.”
