Lewis Hamilton lets slip true Red Bull feelings and desire to drive Max Verstappen’s car
Red Bull boss Christian Horner has revealed ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that Lewis Hamilton was interested in the vacant position before signing a new contract with Mercedes.
Lewis Hamilton has admitted he “loves” driving Max Verstappen’s all-conquering Red Bull – but there’s a reason he wants to beat the Dutchman in his Mercedes.
Hamilton and Red Bull were the talk of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend. This was thanks to Christian Horner, who claimed that one of Hamilton’s entourage had contacted him to see if he could join the team.
The seven-time world champion denied the claims. But Horner was right. It was Hamilton’s father who contacted the British team before he signed a new two-year contract with Mercedes.
He claims his “legacy” with the Silver Arrows and suggests he wouldn’t consider another try with another team. He admitted he would like to have a car as dominant on the grid as Verstappen has been this year.
“Signing [the new contract] showed my commitment to the team,” he said. “To be honest, every driver who competes here dreams of being in a winning car. When I was younger, when I wasn’t very successful, maybe it was more attractive in the McLaren days.
“From a racing standpoint and from my standpoint, when I moved into this team, it was fun to grow and build with the team, going from a successful team to a failed one, because we- I felt good when I won. “Every driver here sees a Red Bull car and wants to drive that car. I’m not saying I don’t want to drive that car because of how good it is. Every driver feels it. [But] I don’t think we want to drive that car. I think they are two very difficult cars, and if we aspire to be them, it feels much better than sitting in the best car. “Driving the most dominant car in history doesn’t do me much good. My legacy would be better to work with my team to beat them.”
Mercedes are hoping to give Hamilton the competitive car he wants in 2024, but team principal Toto Wolff admitted he was taking a big risk. He said: “We are changing the concept. We completely ditched the chassis layout, weight distribution and airflow. “I mean almost everything has changed. If I do that, I think I have a chance. We can make mistakes too. So between not getting what we expected, catching up and making a big move and fighting on the front line, anything is possible.”
