"Red Bull are not a manufacturer, they are a drinks company": When Lewis Hamilton compared the Austrian squad to McLaren and Ferrari

During an interview in 2011, Lewis Hamilton dismissed Red Bull's 2010 F1 success by claiming that the Austrian team was simply a "drinks company" without the legacy of the likes of McLaren and Ferrari. The Briton also claimed that the aforementioned teams will not let Red Bull dominate the sport in the coming years.

Led by Christian Horner and with their star driver Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing claimed both the drivers' and the constructors' titles in 2010, just five years after making their entry into F1. Their incredible performance came as a surprise to many, as a drink manufacturing team from Austria was now the best team on the F1 grid.

But before the 2011 season kicked off in Australia, McLaren's Lewis Hamilton claimed that Red Bull's success was more of a one-off phenomenon, rather than the start of a dynasty. When asked if the Milton Keynes-based outfit could replicate their success in the coming years, the then-26-year-old said:

"I am 100% certain that neither McLaren nor Ferrari will ever let that happen." [via The Guardian]

"Red Bull are not a manufacturer, they are a drinks company. It's a drinks company versus McLaren/Ferrari history. I don't know what their plan is. Our team is building to become a bigger manufacturer, like Ferrari, and I can only see our team being there for a ridiculous amount of time. It is a pure-bred racing team," he added.

It is safe to say Lewis Hamilton was incorrect in his assumption. Red Bull managed to win the next three drivers' and constructors' championships in a row. The Austrian team also went on to dominate the sport more recently in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, before McLaren became competitive again.

Ferrari has also not sorted out a winning formula since it won their last constructors' title in 2008.

---

When Lewis Hamilton gave a cold response about his world title chances in 2011

Lewis Hamilton after winning the 2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Speaking during the same interview in 2011, Lewis Hamilton claimed that he was ready to win races as soon as his McLaren was ready to win races. The driver added that the car can become a world championship-winning car by the end of the 2011 season.

Expecting to start slow in 2011, Hamilton claimed that he would win races if the car performed well. Explaining what he thinks going into the new season, he said:

"I'm ready and when the car is ready I will be at the front and I will win races."

"Just because we don't have a winning car right now, that doesn't mean it won't become a world championship-winning car," he added.

Hamilton was only able to win three races in 2011 in a season that was dominated by Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel, yet again, who won 12 out of the 19 races. Hamilton was also beaten by teammate Jenson Button, who finished runner-up in the drivers' standings.