Red Bull vs Hamilton: Inside the Controversial 2024 Drive Rumor

In a surprising twist, Red Bull’s Christian Horner claims Lewis Hamilton’s team showed interest in a 2024 drive with Red Bull, a statement Lewis Hamilton categorically denies. This contradiction in the F1 world is stirring discussions ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Key Takeaways:

• Horner’s Claim: Christian Horner alleges that representatives from Lewis Hamilton’s camp approached Red Bull regarding a potential drive for the 2024 F1 season.
• Hamilton’s Denial: Lewis Hamilton firmly refutes Horner’s claims, insisting that there was no such approach from his side and that Horner had reached out to him instead.
• Management Inquiries: Horner maintains that it’s not unusual for driver management teams to reach out in F1, suggesting such practices are part of the negotiation game.

The Formula 1 community is abuzz with the latest developments between Red Bull Racing’s Christian Horner and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. According to Horner, Hamilton’s management showed interest in a seat with Red Bull for the upcoming 2024 season. This statement, made during an interview with the Daily Mail, has added an unexpected twist to the narrative, especially as the 2023 season concludes at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Horner, quoted by RaceFans, said, “They were just expressing interest. But that’s not unusual, let’s put it that way. Maybe it’s slightly awkward for Lewis, obviously, with his own team. It’s not unusual for people to reach out. I’m not going to go into the details of the where, who, and why, but perhaps they wouldn’t be doing their job if they didn’t. I’d be rather surprised if they hadn’t informed Lewis, but you never know how managements work with different athletes.”

However, Lewis Hamilton contradicted Horner’s narrative. On Thursday, he clarified, “No, I didn’t approach them… Christian messaged me. I’ve checked with everyone in my team, and no one has spoken to them. But they have tried to reach out to us. I picked up my old phone, which I just found at home, that had my old number on it. I switched it on and obviously hundreds of messages came through and I realized there was one from Christian to get together and have a chat at the end of the season… I just replied to him on my new phone. It was after a weekend. It was quite late on that I found the message. It was from earlier on in the year. So, it was like months later.”

Hamilton further added, “There’s a lot of people here that like to drop my name in many conversations because they know it’s going to make waves. If you’re a little bit lonely and aren’t getting much attention, it’s a perfect thing to do. Just mention my name.”

This saga of conflicting statements adds another layer of intrigue to the F1 world. As the community debates and speculates, the true nature of these interactions remains a topic of keen interest. With the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix drawing near, the focus is not only on the track but also on the unfolding drama off it. How this story will evolve is something everyone in the F1 world is keenly watching.