Red Bull has dismissed the possibility of signing Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes for the 2024 Formula 1 season, saying they have no room for the seven-time world champion.
Hamilton’s contract with Mercedes expires at the end of this year, and his future in the sport remains uncertain after a disappointing start to the season. The Briton has not won a race since last November and trails Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 18 points in the drivers’ standings.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff recently said he would have “no grouch” with Hamilton if he decided to leave the team in a year or two, sparking speculation that he could join another outfit, such as Ferrari or Red Bull.
However, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has ruled out such a scenario, saying he is very happy with his current driver line-up of Verstappen and Sergio Perez, who are both contracted until 2024.
“What Lewis has achieved in F1 is second to none, but we’re very happy with the drivers that we have,” Horner told Sky News.
“They’re committed as a pair not only this season but the next season as well. So I can’t see where we would be able to accommodate Lewis.”
Red Bull has dominated the first two races of the season, with Verstappen winning in Bahrain and Perez taking his maiden victory in Saudi Arabia. They also lead the constructors’ championship by 28 points over Mercedes, who have struggled to match their pace and reliability.
Horner said he expects Mercedes to bounce back soon, and warned that Ferrari could also pose a threat as the season progresses.
“I’m sure they’re going to sort their issues out – we’re certainly not writing him off yet,” he said.
“We’re hearing about big Mercedes upgrades, I’m sure Ferrari aren’t happy with their current position as well.”
“So we’re fully expecting things to converge quickly.”
The next race of the season is the Australian Grand Prix on April 2, where Hamilton will hope to end his winless streak and close the gap to Verstappen.
Governo do Estado de São Paulo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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