Horner reveals Hamilton 'privileges' in GOAT verdict

Christian Horner, Red Bull, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 News & Gossip

Horner reveals Hamilton 'privileges' in GOAT verdict

Christian Horner believes superstar drivers have special 'privilege'

Cal Gaunt

Wednesday 10 January 2024 20:27

In the eyes of Christian Horner, the perks enjoyed by Lewis Hamilton as Mercedes' team leader mirror those of Max Verstappen.

Despite Verstappen's occasional defiance of team directives, his stellar performances have rendered him almost immune to potential repercussions.

The spotlight fell on Verstappen during the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix when he resisted team orders to cede a position to team-mate Sergio Perez, a result of a late safety car reshuffling their positions.

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When confronted by race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase about not yielding the position, Verstappen responded assertively, making it clear that he had already provided his reasons and stood by his decision. The move had significant implications for Perez's aspirations to secure P2 in the drivers' championship standings.

Christian Horner believes Lewis Hamilton has 'privileges' at Mercedes that are only available to superstar drivers

Christian Horner likened Hamilton's 'privileges' to those of Max Verstappen

Horner: Hamilton the most successful of all-time

Delving into Verstappen's more unconventional moments on the Secrets of Success podcast, Horner elaborated on the similarities between Verstappen's situation and Hamilton's role at Mercedes.

“It’s inevitable in any sport I would have thought. I mean, Max came to us as a teenager, he’s now a world champion," he said.

“I think the same with Lewis Hamilton. He’s now the most successful driver of all time. He will have more sway within his team than his team-mate because his value to the team is significantly greater.

“And I think that it’s a matter of keeping that in check. Of course, there will be certain privileges that are allowed to your centre forward, your star player, but he’s still part of a team, he still needs to, you know, there’s no room for a prima donna because, at that point, it becomes bigger than the team.

“So he can’t achieve what he wants to without having the team behind him, without having the tools. And that’s where it’s a matter of achieving that balance, being respectful of the status that they’ve achieved, but also still recognising you’re part of a team, you need all the other elements to deliver for you to be able to deliver your part.”

Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton Mercedes Christian Horner Sergio Perez Brazilian Grand Prix