P1racenews AI automatic summary:
What to make of the revelation from Christian Horner that Lewis Hamilton – or his management team, at least – held talks with Red Bull earlier this year? It’s just the way the game has always worked in F1, as Edd Straw explains
Christian Horner, the Red Bull team principal, revealed in an interview that talks were held earlier this year between Lewis Hamilton’s management and Red Bull, which has sparked speculation about the possibility of Hamilton joining the team. However, it is not surprising that a top driver’s management is consulting with rival teams during contract negotiations. These stories gain disproportionate attention in the media landscape of Formula 1, overshadowing the more appealing aspects of the sport. Horner’s comments should be seen as part of the back-and-forth banter with Mercedes and not taken too seriously. It is common for drivers and their management to keep lines of communication open with rival teams, and it would be surprising if Max Verstappen’s management hadn’t done the same. Ultimately, this story is fairly meaningless and should be greeted with a shrug of “yeah, obviously” since Hamilton has already signed a two-year deal with Mercedes. There are more interesting and significant storylines in Formula 1 that deserve attention.
