Following a comment made by Red Bull team principal Christian Horner ahead of this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton’s father, Anthony, has been confirmed as the “representative” who approached the Austrians over a possible move.
Horner revealed on Wednesday evening that a representative of the seven-time World Champion had made contact with Red Bull earlier this year, about whether a move could be on the cards.
It’s since been revealed by the BBC that it was Hamilton’s father who contacted the Red Bull boss, something the Milton Keynes-based team told the British broadcaster.
Anthony isn’t actually part of the Mercedes driver’s management team anymore which is perhaps why the 103-time race winner rejected the claims and insisted that it was Horner who started the talks.
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Hamilton was managed by his father in the opening three years of his F1 career, before he announced that his father would leave his management team in 2010.
Despite his father’s talks with Horner earlier this year, Hamilton is remaining with Mercedes for at least another two seasons, after signing a new two-year contract ahead of the Italian Grand Prix.
This deal will keep him alongside George Russell until at least the end of 2025, which is the final season of the current regulations.
Mercedes will need to do something remarkable to give Hamilton a car capable of challenging Max Verstappen and Red Bull, who many suspect will remain dominant until at least 2026, when the new power unit regulations are introduced.
Whilst Hamilton’s target over the next two seasons is to return to winning ways and claim an unprecedented eighth Drivers’ Championship, his immediate focus is on helping the team secure second in the standings.
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Ahead of Sunday’s season finale, Mercedes have just a four-point advantage over Ferrari, who have taken chunks out of their advantage over recent races.
One statistic very much in the Silver Arrows’ favour is that Ferrari have never won in Abu Dhabi, something the Germans last achieved in 2019, courtesy of Hamilton.
The weekend has certainly started well for Mercedes, as Russell topped an odd Free Practice 1 session, which featured 10 rookie drivers (excluding Logan Sargeant and Oscar Piastri).