Christian Horner has revealed that he encouraged Mercedes to sign Lewis Hamilton in 2013 “to weaken McLaren”, only for the move to backfire on Red Bull.
Having won his maiden F1 world title with Woking in 2008, Hamilton remained a force to be reckoned with over the following seasons but failed to add to his championship tally amidst driver errors, poor reliability and bad luck.
Meanwhile, Red Bull and team leader Sebastian Vettel rose to prominence, securing eight titles from 2010-13. Speaking to F1 Racing magazine, Horner said Hamilton’s growing frustration had left him seeking a drive at Milton Keynes.
“He was desperate to drive for the team,” the Red Bull team principal claimed. “In 2012, he wanted to come and drive for us, but there was no way we could accommodate him while Sebastian [Vettel] was with us. Then before he signed for Mercedes he was very keen to drive for Red Bull for 2013.”
Horner then explained how and why he became instrumental in Hamilton joining Mercedes.
“The McLaren had been very competitive in 2011 and 2012 and I thought it would probably be better for us for him to be at Mercedes than McLaren, so in the event of us not being able to sign him I encouraged Niki Lauda to sign him to weaken McLaren, not envisaging that Mercedes would become the absolute powerhouse they are today.”
Since moving across to the German constructor, Hamilton has claimed 22 race wins, secured 23 pole positions, and become a three-time world champion. Perhaps he should give Horner a call to say thanks.
Key dates for the 2016 F1 season
