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Red Bull team principal Christian Horner stated that he is happy with the current driver pairing of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez amid rumors of Lewis Hamilton joining the team next season.
The seven-time world champion, who has been driving for the Mercedes AMG F1 team since 2012, is out of contract at the end of the 2023 season. There have been reports claiming that the Brit might leave the German outfit where he has won six titles amidst their current lack of performance on the grid.
Speaking to Sky News, Horner said:
“What Lewis has achieved in Formula 1 is second to none but we’re very happy with the drivers that we have. They’re committed as a pair for not only this season but next season as well, so I can’t see where we would be able to accommodate Lewis. But I’m sure they’re going to sort their issues out and we’re certainly not writing him off yet.”
The Red Bull team boss also spoke of rival Mercedes' struggles following the new regulations, adding:
“The regulations are still relatively young – it’s only the second year of these new regulations – so I’m expecting to see an awful lot of convergence during the course of the year and the grid is going to tighten up. So we need to make hay while the sun shines at the moment while we’ve got a competitive car and just keep pushing through the season.”
“At no point this season has Lewis Hamilton felt the kind of feedback from the car that allows him to really push himself to the limit" - Toto Wolff
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff mentioned that Lewis Hamilton is not comfortable with the W14 and feels that the car isn't allowing him to push to the limit.
Speaking to F1 insider, the Austrian said:
“They are different drivers and need a car with a certain handling in order to be able to drive fast. At no point this season has Lewis felt the kind of feedback from the car that allows him to really push himself to the limit."
“If you have a car that you don’t trust, then you can’t push in the corners. That’s what we saw in qualifying. George can drive around it better and has more confidence in the car.”
It will be interesting to see if Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes will continue their long-standing partnership post this season or part ways.
