Christian Horner down plays Sebastian Vettel-Lewis Hamilton combo in Red Bull – Formula 1
Red Bull team boss, Christian Horner, has down played the chances that Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton will come together under the same roof at Red Bull. Horner stated that two aggressive drivers like Vettel and Hamilton will be tough to handle, as
was in the case of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton in McLaren.
Red Bull team advisor, Helmut Marko, commented that having Hamilton in the team alongside his junior team-mate, Vettel, would be a spectator sight which will make Red Bull a fantasy team. Marko’s comment came after Formula 1 supremo, Bernie Ecclestone, said
that Hamilton and Vettel should drive for the same team.
However, Horner suggested that keeping two drivers of that high a calibre in one team will be a big job. “It's difficult to see how you could have two drivers of Lewis' and Sebastian's calibre under one roof. There tends to be fireworks,” Horner said. He
cited the situation of the McLaren team when Alonso and Hamilton were team-mates and the team had a real tough time keeping them together.
Sebastian Vettel’s contract with the Austrian based team was extended to 2014. His team-mate, Mark Webber, has only been issued a contract for one year. The Aussie’s performance in the 2011 season will decide his fate with the Red Bull team. This has led
to a hunt for a driver to replace Webber at the end of the year and Hamilton’s name has come up as a possible stand in.
Horner explained that by mentioning calibre, he does not mean to say Webber is a lesser driver. Horner explained, “Absolutely not. They (Vettel and Webber) are at different stages of their careers and they complement each other.”
Hamilton has recently commented on the Red Bull team and said that they are just a ‘drinks company’ and nothing more. The British driver further added that Ferrari and McLaren have a long history in Formula 1 and that Red Bull has a very long way to go before
they can take over their legacy in motor sport.
For now the next race is scheduled for Malaysia after three days time. The ongoing season will decide the drivers fates.
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