« I did not approach them »: Lewis Hamilton’s response to Christian Horner

Hamilton rejected Horner’s version of events, which had stated that among several approaches throughout the seasons, the most recent one, earlier in the year, underwent an investigation to determine if there would be any interest.

Hamilton stated that the boss of the Milton Keynes team had initially sent a message to the Mercedes driver.

No, I didn’t approach them. Christian sent me a message. Hamilton believed that Horner had sent a text message to his old phone number, and he only saw the message months later, but he replied afterwards.

I found my old phone, which I had just found at home, with my old number written on it. I turned it on and of course, hundreds of messages came in and I realized that there was one from Christian to meet up and talk at the end of the season.

Hamilton said that Horner did not specify why the two men needed to meet, but he responded to congratulate Red Bull for their dominant year, adding that he hoped Mercedes could lead the fight in 2024.

« I checked with all the members of my team and no one spoke to them. But they tried to contact us. […] I just replied to them on my new phone. It was after a weekend. I discovered the message quite late. It was earlier in the year. So, it was months later ».

A situation that annoys the British person and for him, is nothing more than an attempt to destabilize. There are many people here who like to mention my name in various conversations because they know it will cause a stir. […] If you’re feeling a little alone and not getting much attention, it’s a perfect thing to do. Just mention my name.

At the end of August, Hamilton signed a new two-year contract extension to stay with the team he has won eight constructors’ championships with since his arrival in 2013. Although he and team boss Toto Wolff had stated from the beginning that negotiations would be quick, the final confirmation of the new agreement was delayed. Hamilton wanted to emphasize: “I spoke to Toto, especially when the story broke out. Moreover, I wanted my team to know because people think these kinds of things and it’s never positive.”

For Hamilton, any driver would want to drive the Red Bull, describing the RB19 as the most dominant car of all time. But he believed that there was more satisfaction in bringing Mercedes back to the top after two seasons of failure under the new ground effects rules. He added that this would be preferable for his legacy.

Horner also suggested that Hamilton wouldn’t work in his team, due to the internal relationship with his fierce rival, Max Verstappen. But Hamilton believed that it wouldn’t be a problem. « I would be more than happy to race against Max in the same car. That would be wonderful. I don’t think he wants me as his teammate ».