When Lewis Hamilton first met Christian Horner, it was explosive, with the seven-time F1 champion revealing that “we didn’t hit it off” 20 years ago. The stunning admission comes in the wake of Horner’s surprise departure from Red Bull following the British Grand Prix, an announcement that left everyone stunned, drivers included.
Horner had been in full control of the Red Bull team for more than a decade and he was let go in dramatic fashion, citing performance, putting an end to the Red Bull team principal’s reign as they had appointed their second-ever team principal in Laurent Mekies.
Hamilton, who has long found himself engaged in a fierce rivalry with Horner’s drivers throughout the years, seemed unfazed by the situation when reflecting on Horner’s absence as if it didn’t matter personally to him. The Briton was asked to recall the first time he met Horner and reminisced about that early moment in their rivalry as he famously stated; “we didn’t hit it off.”
In their earliest exchanges, Hamilton pointed out the enormous success he has achieved in his time and acknowledged that Horner was pivotal to the success of Red Bull, whom he turned into one of the leading teams in Formula One. Despite their attempts to humble one another in the paddock, Hamilton acknowledged Horner’s leadership and the work the Red Bull team produced during his stint with them and wished him well in his future endeavors.
As we all adjust to this bombshell departure in the F1 paddock, we turn our attention toward the Belgian Grand Prix and the thought that Hamilton will be competing without his rival on the opposing pit wall. Tune in next week for the continuation of our discussion and development of this episode in F1 history.
