"He was questioning the validity of Max’s teammate only a few weeks ago" - Christian Horner on Lewis Hamilton's comments about Sergio Perez

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has clapped back at Lewis Hamilton's comments about Sergio Perez during the 2023 F1 Mexican GP race weekend.

Hamilton spoke about the Mexican earlier in the weekend, stating that he felt the latter was not getting the complete support of his team. Taking aim at Red Bull chief advisor Helmut Marko's comments, he said Perez had conducted himself brilliantly considering the environment he's in.

Horner has clapped back at these comments as he pointed out how Lewis Hamilton was undermining Sergio Perez not very long ago. A few weeks back, Hamilton had claimed that none of Max Verstappen's teammates were better than the teammates he's had in his career.

Talking about this and more, Christian Horner touched on this specific incident and told F1TV:

"It’s very nice that Lewis has so much care and attention [for Perez] when he was questioning the validity of Max’s teammate only a few weeks ago. There’s always rumours that are circulating in this paddock, especially when there’s very little to write about."

Talking about Sergio Perez and his relationship with Max Verstappen, Horner said,

"[Sergio] has a great relationship with the team, a strong relationship with his teammate, and we want to see him finish second in the championship, which is something we’ve never achieved before – to have a one-two."

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What had Lewis Hamilton said about Sergio Perez?

Earlier in the weekend, Lewis Hamilton had said that Sergio Perez was not getting the best of support from the team, and in those conditions, he'd done a brilliant job.

“I don’t think his team has been really massively supportive for him. I wouldn’t say the team because there are a lot of people within a team but one particular spokesperson has not been really great in helping psychologically,” Hamilton said.

He added:

“If I heard Toto [Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff] talking negatively about me on the weekends, it would be really quite tough. So it’s a difficult environment for him but I think he’s dealt with it to the best of his ability.”

One could argue that it doesn't make sense for Hamilton to comment on how Perez is being treated at Red Bull. Having said that, such comments are also a great reminder for everyone that these little mind games keep the fans engaged.

Whether Lewis Hamilton was trying to convey a bigger point than what he said is hard to understand, but it was enough to draw a reaction from the opposition.