Ex-Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert doesn’t believe Lewis Hamilton ever spoke to Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, following a series of comments made by the latter.
Ahead of last weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Horner told the Daily Mail that a representative of Hamilton’s approached him earlier this season, to enquire about a potential move to the Milton Keynes-based team.
Of course, Hamilton possibly leaving Mercedes was a big talking point this season, as it took him until the Italian Grand Prix to sign a two-year extension taking him to the end of 2025.
Ferrari were the side Hamilton was speculated with the most, as most expected a move to Red Bull to be impossible.
Want to work in Formula 1? Browse the latest F1 job vacancies
Not only is Sergio Perez contracted for 2024, but would Hamilton even want to partner Max Verstappen?
Nevertheless, it was later discovered ahead of last weekend that it was Hamilton’s father, Anthony, who spoke to Horner.
However, Hamilton’s father hasn’t been part of his management team since 2010.
The seven-time World Champion revealed that he asked every member of his team if they spoke to Horner, something they all categorically denied.
It’s led to suggestions that Horner’s story perhaps wasn’t even true, with Herbert admitting that he often doesn’t “really listen” to what the Red Bull boss says.
Even if Hamilton were to be seriously linked to Red Bull, Herbert doesn’t think it’d be a positive move for him given that he wouldn’t be the “leader of the team”.
This would seriously hamper his chances of claiming an unprecedented eighth Drivers’ Championship, as he may be asked to support the Dutchman.
“I don’t think anybody was really aware of that, I think a lot of people were saying ‘well that would be the possible right pairing to have’ because obviously in a situation like Lewis was in at Mercedes. I think Lewis is very aware, and you mentioned it earlier, Lewis is after the eighth,” Herbert told Genting Casino.
READ: Alex Albon reveals Michael Schumacher tantrums
“Now he knows how good Max is, he knows it’s Max’s team, he knows that when he’s been winning the championships that he’s got, generally, he’s been the man of that team. And you go Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost, Nicky Lauder, Nigel Mansell, the list goes on, they were the leaders of those teams.
“And the way you win world championships, is to be the leader of the team. Going into Red Bull, that I don’t think would ever be the case, and I think he’s very aware of that. I’d be very surprised if there was any contact from Lewis’s side and him not knowing that they were doing it, if that was the case. He would’ve been very aware.
“But it is, however people want to take this, very Christian. There’s a lot of things, I don’t really listen to Christian sometimes, and I think that probably was one of them [laughs].”