"Christian Horner stands by this" - Red Bull reportedly stand by team boss' claims about approach from Lewis Hamilton

According to Sky Sport journalist Craig Slater, Red Bull stand by the claim that a close representative of Lewis Hamilton had made contact with their team principal Christian Horner to talk about the possibility of the Brit joining the team.

Hamilton has been chasing his eighth title since the 2021 season. It has been nearly two years since he last won a race, largely because of the loss of pace Mercedes has suffered in the new F1 era.

Prior to Hamilton signing an extension with the team earlier this season, there were strong rumors that he was looking to switch teams. He was heavily linked with a move to rivals Red Bull since they have been dominating the sport in recent years.

Their team principal, Christian Horner, recently claimed there was a conversation about Lewis Hamilton wanting to join the team. He said (via PlanetF1):

"We have had several conversations over the years about Lewis joining. They have reached out a few times. Most recently, earlier in the year, there was an inquiry about whether there would be any interest."

Craig Slater of Sky Sports has now reported that his conversation with the Red Bull Racing crew revealed that Horner still stands by his statement.

"I thought I’d better fact-check it so I got in touch with Red Bull and they say: ‘Yes, absolutely, Christian Horner stands by this. A known Lewis Hamilton representative made contact with him'."

Hamilton has enjoyed massive success with the Silver Arrows over the years. Despite the rumors surrounding a potential move for the seven-time world champion, he has always maintained that he is not looking to move teams.

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Mercedes 'relaxed' despite Christian Horner's claims over Lewis Hamilton contacting Red Bull

Slater further talked about the conversation he had with Mercedes over the Hamilton and RBR drama. He stated that the team is not worried about the statements that have been issued by Christian Horner or Red Bull.

"I did get in touch with Mercedes who tell me they are relaxed, they are not stressed about any of this."

Further, the team feels that it might be the work of Hamilton's representative as "due diligence" to keep an eye out for the opportunities that might lie outside of Mercedes for the driver.

"As far as they see it, they think it’s rather implausible but it would be, in their view, due diligence for a representative of Lewis Hamilton to go and maybe see what else is out there, what future opportunities might potentially be out there."

Mercedes occupy the second position in the constructors' standings, with Hamilton third in the drivers' and his teammate George Russell eighth.

As F1 heads into Abu Dhabi for the final race, however, there is only a four-point gap between themselves and Ferrari, who have been chasing them for the position in the standings.