The individual who inquired about the availability of a seat at Red Bull for Lewis Hamilton was the Mercedes driver’s father, Anthony, according to Christian Horner.
The Red Bull team principal named Hamilton snr on Friday after the British driver had denied Horner’s statement this week that a representative for the 38-year-old had been in contact this season regarding the prospect of a future drive alongside the world champion Max Verstappen.
Horner’s declaration is the latest in a series of claims and counterclaims between Hamilton and Red Bull in the build-up to this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Hamilton had denied he or his representatives made any approach to Horner or Red Bull before he signed a new contract with Mercedes in August. However Horner, speaking at the Yas Marina Circuit, insisted otherwise. “I have known Anthony Hamilton for 15 years and I don’t think he was inquiring about himself to come and drive,” he said. “I don’t know who represents who, but with the surname you would think they are reasonably close.”
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Hamilton was managed by his father in the early part of his career but has since handled his contractual affairs and negotiations himself. He has not won a race since Saudi Arabia in 2021 in a Mercedes that has been well off the pace of the Red Bull for the past two seasons. This year it was claimed Hamilton had also made approaches to Ferrari about a seat, an assertion denied by the driver and also Ferrari.
Horner said it would be perfectly normal for Hamilton or his father to be considering a move to another team. “Anthony is a good guy, a proud racing father and inevitably when drivers go through tough spots – and Lewis has not won a grand prix for two years – questions will be asked up and down the paddock,” he said. “Lewis is the most successful driver of all time and he hasn’t won a grand prix since 2021. You have not got to be a rocket scientist to work that out and I doubt I was the only one that an inquiry was made to.”
On Thursday Hamilton had accused Horner of deliberately “stirring” with his comments, while Horner responded on Friday by saying he believed they had been “fairly innocuous” and thought it was “remarkable how much traction this has got”.
More will follow given Hamilton will have to address the issue of whether he was aware of any approaches made by his father. – Guardian
