Horner tackles Hamilton: 'Few weeks ago he said something else'

Hamilton let slip ahead of the Mexico Grand Prix that he believes Perez is not being helped enough by Red Bull. Horner cannot do much with those words and is now hitting back by targeting Hamilton on a statement he made in July.

Back then, the Mercedes driver attacked Perez by saying that Verstappen would have had a much tougher time if he had been allowed to sit in the RB19 himself. Moreover, he argued that he himself had had tougher teammates than Verstappen in his career.

“It’s very nice that Lewis has so much care and attention [for Perez] when he was questioning the validity of Max’s teammate only a few weeks ago," Horner told Formula 1's cameras. "But look, there are always rumours that are circulating in this paddock, especially when there’s very little to write about."

The 49-year-old Briton continued: “[Sergio] has a great relationship with the team, a strong relationship with his teammate, and we want to see him finish second in the championship, which is something we’ve never achieved before – to have a one-two.”

Rumours that Perez would hang up his F1 helmet after this season were already denied by the Mexican driver himself last week and Horner now does the same: "There’s absolutely no plan of any retirement!"