P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Christian Horner has remarkably claimed that Lewis Hamilton “reached out” this year about a switch to Red Bull.
Lewis Hamilton recently signed a new Mercedes contract, putting an end to speculation about his future. However, it has been revealed that Hamilton explored options at rival teams, including Red Bull and Ferrari. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner confirmed that there were conversations about Hamilton potentially joining their team, but ultimately, they were happy with their current lineup. Horner also mentioned that Hamilton had talks with Ferrari’s chairman John Elkann, and these discussions were serious. Despite these discussions, Hamilton has consistently denied any links to Ferrari and stated that the delays in signing his Mercedes deal were just to iron out the details. Hamilton will be returning next year in Mercedes’ F1 2024 car, hoping to challenge Red Bull once again.