Lewis Hamilton fires brutal comment towards Max Verstappen after explosive F1 team-mate claims

Lewis Hamilton has responded to comments made by Max Verstappen after it was claimed that the Mercedes driver had held talks with Red Bull over a 2024 race seat.

Those claims were put forward by Red Bull team principal Christian Horner ahead of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend.

Horner told the Daily Mail that a member of Hamilton's representatives had reached out to the Milton Keynes-based team prior to the 38-year-old signing a new deal with Mercedes earlier this year.

But Hamilton rubbished those claims, telling the media before this weekend's Grand Prix that he, nor any of his management team, had held talks with Red Bull.

He did, however, claim that Horner had actually reached out to him.

He said: "I've checked with everyone, no-one from my team has reached out to him.

"However, he had reached out to me about meeting up at the end of the season."

Verstappen was asked during his pre-race media duties about whether he would have welcomed Hamilton as his Red Bull team-mate next season - and his answer may have surprised some fans.

He said: "I wouldn't mind. It doesn't matter, anyone [could be my team-mate] - I don't want to put it particularly on Lewis. There are so many great drivers as well."

Hamilton, though, has responded to the three-time F1 champion's comments - believing that Verstappen would not actually want him as his team-mate and in the same car if it came down to it.

Hamilton told Sky Sports F1: "I 100 per cent would be more than happy to race against him in a equal car. For me, Red Bull has done an amazing job, and it is an incredible team. Any driver would love to drive for such a great group of people.

"I think moving from a car that's not so great to a winning car, from my perspective, that's not a dream. The dream is always to start where we kind of are and build up to then winning. That's why I've stayed with Mercedes.

"I don't think [Verstappen] wants me to be his team-mate."