Red Bull comment on signing Lewis Hamilton amid Mercedes contract saga

Lewis Hamilton’s current contract with Mercedes expires at the end of the season, sparking debate over whether he could move to a rival team.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has played down reports that Lewis Hamilton could be looking to make the swap to the reigning Constructors’ Champion.

“What he has achieved in F1 is second to none,” Horner admitted to Sky News. “But we are very happy with the drivers we have.” 

“[Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez] are committed as a pair for this and next season so I can’t see where we would be able to accommodate Lewis,” Horner continued. 

“I am sure [Mercedes] will sort their issues out and we are certainly not writing him off yet,” he added.

READ: FIA accused of favouritism after Lewis Hamilton shown flag while Max Verstappen wasn’t warned

“The regulations are still relatively young, so I am expecting to see a number of conversions over the year and I am expecting the grid to tighten up,” Horner conceded. 

“We are hearing about Mercedes upgrades and I am sure Ferrari won’t be completely happy with their current position either,” the Red Bull team principal added.

Aside from moving to Red Bull, there has been talk of a seat swap between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, as both are reportedly frustrated with the performance of their respective teams.

“F1 needs Lewis Hamilton in a Ferrari and Ferrari needs Lewis Hamilton,” former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan told OLBG.

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However, Leclerc has been clear that a move away from Ferrari is not on the cards for the Monegasque driver.

“I want to become world champion with Ferrari,” Leclerc told Italian outlet Quotidiano Nazaionale.

“There’s no need to dramatise,” he urged. “Yes, we didn’t have the best start to the season. But no one on the team is going to give up. I believe that we will succeed.”