The F1 rumour mill was sent into overdri🗹ve at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix aft𒈔er Red Bull team principal Christian Horner claimed that Hamilton reached out over a potential switch from Mercedes. 

Horner’s comments were included in a story published on the eve of the Abu Dhabi finale that sparked a ‘he said, she said’ saga between Red Bull and the seven-𒀰time world champion.&nbꦇsp;

After Hamilton disputed Horner’s claims, the Red Bull chief admitted the contact originally came frꦯom Hamilton’s father, Anthony.

"We're very happy with the ꦯdrivers that we've got, but of course Lewis hasn't won a race for almost two years. You can understand questions being asked, it's entirely logical and normal for those type of things to happen,” Horner told Sky in Abu Dhabi. 

"And as I say, I've always had a gr𒈔eat relationship with Anthony, he's a very nice guy, but there is no seat available so it's really a non-story."

Hamilton sign꧅ed a new two-year contract with Mercedes in August which ties him down to the German manufacturer until the end of 202🤡5. 

Marko waded in on the topic when asked about it by Motorsport.com, explaining that finan𝕴cial constraints and underlying tension would stop a Verstappen-Hamilton pairing from ever ha♑ppening at Red Bull. 

“Christian informed me and showed me the text message he received, but I told𝔍 him: ‘Hamilton and Max, that doesn't work’,” Marko said. 

“There was too mu♏ch action and how should I say, in 2021, tension. And on the other hand, we cannot afford to have the two𝓡 most expensive drivers in one team. 

“It's just never going to happen. So I told Christian: ‘No way.’”&nbওsp;

In the interview with the Daily Mail, Horner also expressed d꧅oubts about whether a Verstappen-Ha💛milton dynamic could work. 

"I can't see Max and Lewis working ♊out together,” Horner said. “The dynamic wouldn't be right. We are 100 per cent happy with what we have.”