Lewis Hamilton move to Red Bull ruled out by Christian Horner - for one clear reason

Hamilton’s contract at Mercedes – where he has been since 2013 – expires at the end of the 2023 season

Kieran Jackson
Formula 1 Correspondent
Thursday 23 March 2023 09:52 EDT
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Hamilton: Mercedes Did Not Listen To Me

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Christian Horner insists Red Bull won’t be moving to sign Lewis Hamilton for next year, adding that he “can’t see where we would be able to accommodate Lewis.”

Red Bull are the standout team in Formula 1 right now, having won both the Drivers and Constructors’ World Championship last year at a canter.

They have produced an even quicker car this season, earning one-two finishes in the first two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, leaving their rivals for dead in qualifying and race-pace.

Yet Hamilton, whose deal at Mercedes expires at the end of the season, has not win in his last 25 races and while a fresh contract isn’t penned, rumours continue to swirl about his future in the sport.

Former team principal Eddie Jordan believes Hamilton needs to move to Ferrari, but Red Bull boss Horner ruled out signing the seven-time world champion and is satisfied with his current driver pairing of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.

"What Lewis has achieved in F1 is second to none," Horner told Sky News. “But we’re very happy with the drivers that we have.

"They’re committed as a pair not only this season but the next season as well. So I can’t see where we would be able to accommodate Lewis."

Verstappen has a long-term deal until 2028 while Perez last year penned a contract until the end of the 2024 season.

Christian Horner insists Red Bull won’t be moving to sign Lewis Hamilton for next year
Christian Horner insists Red Bull won’t be moving to sign Lewis Hamilton for next year (Getty Images)

Despite Mercedes’ struggles so far this season, with team boss Toto Wolff admitting that they need to change the car philosophy in order to challenge for race wins, Horner is far from getting complacent with 21 races to go.

"I’m sure they’re going to sort their issues out - we’re certainly not writing him off yet," said the 49-year-old.

"We’re hearing about big Mercedes upgrades, I’m sure Ferrari aren’t happy with their current position as well.

"So, we’re fully expecting things to converge quickly."

Both Hamilton, who has been at Mercedes since 2013 and has won six of his seven world titles with the Silver Arrows, and Wolff have reiterated that a new contract is expected to be agreed by both parties in the coming months.

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