"Fair to say that backfired on me": When Red Bull boss Christian Horner revealed the role he played in Lewis Hamilton going to Mercedes in 2013

Lewis Hamilton made the move from McLaren to Mercedes for the 2013 season and would go on to dominate the mid-late 2010s with the hybrid engine regulation. Christian Horner came out in 2022 and detailed the role he played in Hamilton joining Mercedes, as he suggested that it backfired on him.

Hamilton started looking for a team as early as the start of the 2012 F1 season despite leading the Driver's championship after the first three races. The Briton was reportedly in talks with Red Bull for the F1 seat. However, Horner suggested that the Milton Keynes-based team already had Sebastian Vettel as their lead driver, and didn't want a clash between two No.1 drivers in the team.

F1 Grand Prix of Spain - Source: Getty

At the same time, Mercedes, which was on the rise, also showed interest in Lewis Hamilton as the replacement for Michael Schumacher. Mercedes rejoined the grid as a constructor in 2010 and were on the rise. The team invested hundreds of millions in making the German outfit a lead team.

Niki Lauda was with Mercedes at that point in time and played a crucial role in convincing Hamilton to join Mercedes. With McLaren being the key competitor in 2012, Christian Horner felt that Hamilton in a Mercedes would be less of a threat compared to the Briton in a McLaren. The Red Bull TP convinced Niki Lauda of Hamilton's ability and encouraged the former F1 driver to sign Lewis.

Speaking about the same and how it backfired, Christian Horner said, Racingnews365:

“Niki Lauda was at Mercedes and was very keen to take Lewis, and I remember encouraging him to take him. We were fighting McLaren and, in 2012, they had the fastest car, and we felt that Lewis in a McLaren would be more of a threat than in a Mercedes. I encouraged Niki to spend the money as Lewis was wavering a little bit. It would be fair to say that backfired on me!”

Mercedes went on to dominate the hybrid power unit regulations introduced in 2014, with Lewis Hamilton winning six titles with the Brackley-based outfit in the first seven years of the new regulations. Hamilton's teammate, Nico Rosberg, won the title in 2016.

Red Bull, after winning four consecutive championships from 2010-2013, were only able to win their next Driver's title in 2021 with Max Verstappen.

Lewis Hamilton reflects on the “challenging” move to Ferrari

After racing with Mercedes for over a decade, Lewis Hamilton decided to join Ferrari for the 2025 F1 season. Mercedes had not been able to challenge Red Bull since the 2022 ground effect regulations were introduced, and Ferrari was in a stronger position to challenge the leaders.

F1 Grand Prix of Spain - Source: Getty

However, moving to the Maranello-based team was never easy, as one has to delve into the culture and how the team operates. Speaking about how the move has been challenging, Hamilton said, via Motorsport website:

“I anticipated it would be very tough, because I've joined a team before. I came in with a really open mind. I didn't know how tough it was going to be. I knew it was going to be challenging. It's as challenging as it could ever be on all fronts.”

Lewis Hamilton won the 2025 Chinese GP sprint race with Ferrari, but has otherwise had a subpar season. He sits sixth in the standings on 71 points behind his teammate Charles Leclerc.

Edited by Hitesh Nigam