Lewis Hamilton takes aim at Christian Horner: ‘He’s stirring things!’

Lewis Hamilton insists Christian Horner is “stirring things” after the Red Bull team principal claimed the Mercedes driver’s team approached him about a move earlier this year.

A representative of Hamilton put out feelers about leaving Mercedes earlier this year, according to a report in the Daily Mail, with Red Bull and Ferrari both approached.

However, Hamilton, who has won six of his seven world titles at Mercedes, signed a new two-year contract with the Silver Arrows in September and, speaking in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, denied Horner’s claim.

“I know it’s [the story] come from Christian, I don’t really understand what he’s been talking about,” Hamilton told Sky Sports.

“No one as far as I’m aware from my team has spoken to him. I haven’t spoken to Christian in years.

“However, he did reach out to me earlier on in the year about meeting up. But that’s it. I congratulated him on an amazing year and said, ‘hopefully, soon I’ll be able to fight against you guys in the near future’.

“That was it. I’m not really sure… I think he’s just stirring things.

“There aren’t any confidential discussions. You know Christian… he loves that kind of stuff.”

Horner told the Mail that he “can’t see Max and Lewis working out together”. Hamilton now has a deal until the end of the 2025 season with Mercedes while Max Verstappen has a long-term contract with Red Bull until 2028.

“100 per cent would be more than happy to race against him [Max] in an equal car,” Hamilton added.

“Red Bull have done an amazing job and it is an incredible team. Any driver would love to drive with such a great group of people.

“Moving from a car that’s not so great to a winning car from my perspective, that’s not a dream. The dream is always to start where we are and to build up to then winning. That’s why I’ve stayed with Mercedes.”

Hamilton was heavily linked with Ferrari earlier in the season but put all speculation to bed when he penned a new £50m-a-year extension with Mercedes, a rise of approximately £10m.

Hamilton has not won since December 2021 in Saudi Arabia. A week later, he lost the 2021 world championship to Verstappen on the final lap in controversial circumstances in Abu Dhabi.

Mercedes have won just one race since, with George Russell’s first F1 victory in Brazil last year, while Hamilton has had 15 podiums since 2021 without a victory.

Red Bull, meanwhile, have won 20 of the 21 races this season with Verstappen triumphant a record-breaking 18 times ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi this weekend.