Last Updated on November 23 2023, 12:52 pm
Hamilton’s lucrative Mercedes deal and talks with rival teams such as Red Bull Racing is the current talk of the F1 town. Lewis Hamilton’s recent contract extension with Mercedes, a lucrative two-year deal reportedly worth over £50 million per season, followed a period of intense speculation and discussions with rival teams Red Bull and Ferrari.
The revelation comes from Red Bull’s team principal, Christian Horner, who has revealed to the Daily Mail the behind-the-scenes negotiations that almost led Hamilton away from Mercedes.
Red Bull and Ferrari’s pursuit of Hamilton
According to Horner, Red Bull have had several conversations over the years about the possibility of Hamilton joining their team, including a significant enquiry earlier this year. Hamilton is also said to have had serious discussions with Ferrari, including a meeting with Ferrari chairman John Elkann.
“He also met John Elkann (ed. Ferrari chairman). I think there were serious discussions,” said Horner, underlining the seriousness of the talks.
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The Red Bull dynamic
Despite these discussions, Hamilton’s move to Red Bull, especially alongside Max Verstappen, seemed implausible due to the dynamics of the team.
“The dynamics wouldn’t be right,” explained Horner, emphasising Red Bull’s satisfaction with their current line-up. This sentiment hints at the complexity of team composition in F1, where driver relationships play a crucial role.
The Abu Dhabi finale and Hamilton’s 2021 title loss
These revelations add an extra layer of intrigue to the season finale in Abu Dhabi, where Hamilton infamously lost the 2021 title to Verstappen on the final lap. The drama at the Yas Marina Circuit remains a pivotal moment in recent F1 history.
Adrian Newey’s regret
Adrian Newey, Red Bull Racing’s Chief Technical Officer and a renowned figure in Formula One, has expressed his regret at not working with a particular driving legend – not Lewis Hamilton, but Fernando Alonso.
Newey’s career has been one of immense success, overseeing 13 Drivers’ and 12 Constructors’ Championships and contributing to the victories of drivers such as Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost and Max Verstappen.
Despite his illustrious career, Newey told BBC Sport he regretted never having the opportunity to work with Alonso. “It’s a regret that it never happened because I have enormous respect for Fernando,” said Newey. He admitted there were discussions about Alonso joining Red Bull about a decade ago, but it never materialised.
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Hamilton reacts to Horner’s story
Lewis Hamilton has refuted the recent claims by Christian Horner that he is considering a move from Mercedes to Red Bull. In a candid interview with Sky Sports F1 ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Hamilton clarified the situation.
“I don’t really know where that story has come from. I mean I know it’s come from Christian…
“I don’t really understand what he’s been talking about because no one, as far as I’m aware, from my team has spoken to him. I haven’t spoken to Christian really in years.
“However, he did reach out to me earlier on in the year about meeting up, but that’s it. I just congratulated them on an amazing year and said, ‘hopefully soon, I’ll be able to fight against you guys in the near future.’ That was it…
“So I’m not really sure, I think he’s just stirring things.”
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The news that Lewis Hamilton was in conversations with other teams as his contract renewal discussions with Mercedes dragged on for more than half a season, is hardly ground breaking. Any Formula One’s driver representatives worth their salt should be checking out their client’s p[tops before putting pen to paper. Even so, Christian Horner has now put the cat amongst the pigeons with his revelations that Hamilton “reached out” early this year to see if there was any hope of a Red Bull drive in 2024/25 when his deal with Mercedes expired.
There’s rarely smoke without fire, and media reports repeatedly suggested early this year that Hamilton was looking elsewhere and this was…READ MORE ON THIS STORY
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
