Horner reveals - and details - specifics of contact with Hamilton’s dad 

In the build-up to this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Horner told the Daily Mail there had been “an inquiry” from Hamilton over the possibility of driving for Red Bull next year before he signed a new two-year deal with Mercedes.

Hamilton denied these claims on Thursday, insisting that Horner had in fact reached out to him first to suggest an end-of-season meeting, but had texted his old number. 

In a further twist, Horner has since revealed that his exchange was with Hamilton’s father, Anthony. 

“It’s remarkable how much traction this has got. So thank you to the Daily Mail for going exclusively large on this item,” Horner said when pushed about the matter during Friday’s press conference in Abu Dhabi. 

“I mean, it's a question of ‘he said, she said, who said, what said’. It’s entirely normal for drivers, drivers’ representatives, drivers’ parents, to have different conversations during the course of course of the year and look, you know, we we haven't had any serious discussion with Lewis. There was never a seat available.

“I’ve known Anthony Hamilton for for many years, he's a good guy. He’s a proud racing father and inevitably, when drivers go through tough spots, and let's face it, Lewis hasn't won or Grand Prix for two years. It's inevitable that questions will be asked up and down the paddock.

“But there was never any engagement and I don't know who represents who or what, but with the same surname, you would think they were reasonably close.

“It's difficult to say but other than pleasantries, there was no specific ‘can I drive for for Red Bull next year?’ Unless Anthony wanted to drive. But as I say, that’s not unusual. 

“There's many drivers as you can imagine, that we hear from during the course of a year.”

Asked whether he thinks Mercedes would be surprised to hear that Hamilton’s camp had been in contract with Red Bull about a possible switch, Horner replied: “Not really.

“I mean, he's the most successful driver of all time, and hasn't won a grand prix since 2021. So you haven't got to be a rocket scientist to work that out. And I doubt that I was the only one that there was an inquiry made to. 

"Now, what the dynamics are within any given relationship? I don’t know, I'm not I'm not privy to that. But inevitably questions are going to be asked. 

“There’s not really much more to say. A lot has been made out of something fairly innocuous.”