Hamilton will contest his 369th race at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, but the first in Formula One without Horner sitting on the Red Bull pit wall following his dramatic dismissal earlier this month.
Horner – who joined Red Bull in 2005, two years before Hamilton’s debut – oversaw 14 world championships but the final 18 months of his reign was undermined amid claims from a female staff member of “inappropriate behaviour”. Horner was twice exonerated.
“I was neither surprised nor unsurprised,” said Hamilton, reflecting on Horner’s bombshell exit. “It doesn’t change anything in my life.
“What is there to say? I sat with Christian in his office back in 2005, and I was in Formula Three and looking to go into GP2. He was with Arden.
“And I wouldn’t say we hit it off from the get-go but to see his progression and his career, it was clearly remarkable what he did with the team with a huge group of amazing people.
“To run an organisation that big and that well takes talent and skill and that is what he brought to the team. I wish him all the best.”
