Lewis Hamilton makes “lonely” jibe at Red Bull F1 boss Christian Horner, doubts Max Verstappen ‘wants me as his teammate’
In an interview with the Daily Mail in the build-up to this weekend’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Horner made the 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:sensational revelation that Hamilton had sounded out Red Bull earlier this year before the seven-time world champion committed his future 𓆏to Mercedes.
Hamilton, who signed a new two-year contract renewal with Mercedes at the end of August, initially 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:denied Horner’s cla🦂im when spe♍aking to Sky, in turn revealing that Horner had in fact contac꧑ted him first.
According to Hamilton’s version of events, Horner made the first move to initiate a meeting between the pair, but texted t✨he 38-year-old Briton’s old number.
"No, I didn't approach them… Christian messaged me,” Hamilton told reporters in a later 🌊media debrief which followed his TV p♐en duties as he attempted to set the record straight.
"I'vꦆe chec꧅ked with everyone in my team, and no one has spoken to them. But they have tried to reach out to us.”
Hamilton went on to explain: “I picked ꦜup my old phone, which I just found at home, that had my old number on it.
"I switched it on an🍌d obviously hundreds of messages came through and I realised there was one from Christian to get together and have a chat at the end of the season…
"I just replied to him on my new phone. It was after a weekend. It was quite late on that I found the message. It was from earlier on in the year. So, it was like monthꦿs later.”
He added: "There's a lot of people here that 𝐆like to drop my name i🦩n many conversations because they know it's going to make waves.
"If you're a little bit lonely and aren't getting much attention, it's a 𝄹perfect thing to do. Just mention my name.”
Hamilton stressed he had kept Mercedes boss Toto W🍰olff in the loop about his contac🍨t with Horner.
"I did tell Toto [abou🗹t replying to Horner], especially when the story broke,” he said.&n🐻bsp;
"Also, I wanted my team to know because people think those thi🍎ngs and it's never a positive.”
And Hamilton believes 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Max Verstappen would be less keen ♌on the pair ever becoming teammates.&nb✅sp;
"I'd be more than happy to race against Max in the same car,” he said. “That would be wonderful. I don't think he wants me to be his tea🤪mmate.”
Verstappen was pressed on whether he would be open to going head-to-head with Hamilton i🅷n equal machinery durin♍g Thursday’s press conference.
"I wouldn't mind,” the triple world champion replied. “It doesn't matter, anyone. I don't want to put it particularly on꧋ Lewis. There are so many great drivers as well. Sometimes it doesn't work out like that."
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for mahbx.com𝐆 around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the spor🍒t.
