Red Bull cool on Hamilton move option

RED BULL would have “severe reservations” about signing McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton to partner Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel, team boss Christian Horner said yesterday.

Speculation about Hamilton’s future has continued unabated since last month’s Canadian Grand Prix, where the 2008 world champion publicly sought out Horner in the Red Bull paddock after qualifying.

While the 26-year-old’s McLaren contract has another season to run, the most recent reports have focused on a possible break clause that might allow him to leave before that.

“We have no knowledge of what Lewis’ contractual situation is with McLaren. It’s obviously an issue between him and the team,” Horner said yesterday.

“On paper, a Vettel-Hamilton line-up would be hugely attractive, but you have to look at the reality at how these things work,” continued Horner.

“History dictates that two world class drivers hasn’t always been the best pairing if you think of Piquet-Mansell, or Senna and Prost or even Alonso and Hamilton.”

Hamilton raced alongside Spain’s double world champion Fernando Alonso at McLaren in 2007 in a famously fiery pairing that saw their relationship start amicably and end in frosty silence.

Red Bull’s current line-up is Vettel and Mark Webber, with the Australian out of contract at the end of the year and yet to decide his future.

“We are hugely happy to have Sebastian committed to the team for the long term, and with Mark we’re very pleased with the job he is currently doing,” Horner added.