Source: REUTERS/Yves Herman
[Saba Sports News] On July 9, Red Bull announced Christian Horner’s termination, ending his 20-year reign. Lewis Hamilton showed no sympathy—he’d long dismissed his former rival. At the F1 Belgian GP media day, Hamilton said, “I focus on my performance, not other teams.” This was unsurprising; their feud dates to 2005, when a young Hamilton met Horner for a potential GP2 seat at Red Bull’s Arden team. Talks soured, and Hamilton joined ART instead, winning the GP2 title and launching his F1 career. The rift deepened in 2021. As Hamilton battled Max Verstappen for the title, Horner aggressively defended Red Bull, even attacking Mercedes and Hamilton. The Abu Dhabi finale’s controversy—where Hamilton felt robbed of an eighth championship—sealed their estrangement.