Lewis Hamilton's dominance of the Formula One circuit in the 2010s has been promptly followed up by a forceful display of practically unbeatable racing from Max Verstappen with Red Bull Racing.
While Verstappen still sits 50 race wins behind Hamilton at this point in his career, his 18 wins this year so far suggest it may not be long until Verstappen comes up on Hamilton's current record.
On the Constructor's Championship side of things, Red Bull is fiercely dominant in its own right on the back of Verstappen's racing. At present, Red Bull has 822 points, with Mercedes a far distant second at 392.
But with Sergio Perez's place on the team largely thought to be in question within the next year or two, the spot next to Verstappen is one of the most attractive for prospective drivers and impactful to the grid as a whole.
Could Hamilton sneak in?
Lewis Hamilton has pursued a Red Bull Racing spot, according to Christian Horner
Speaking to Daily Mail, Chrisitan Horner dropped a nonchalant statement of how interested Lewis Hamilton really has been in teaming up with his chief rival, Verstappen.
He said that there have been, 'several' conversations about Hamilton joining over the years, but that he doesn't think the dynamic would work right with Verstappen as his teammate.
"They have reached out a few times. Most recently, earlier in the year, there was an inquiry about whether there would be any interest."
Horner indicated that they spoke with Verstappen's camp in May in Monaco and that Hamilton also met with Ferrari, too.
Horner is right to protect the teammate dynamic. A healthy amount of internal competition between the two drivers on the grid is great, but with as much history as Verstappen and Hamilton have, the level of inter-team competition could venture into dangerous territory. Two teammates engaging in intense battles could distract from the real competition: Other teams.
For Hamilton, in particular, the Red Bull pairing would be great. The last several years, as Mercedes has dealt with less effective cars than Hamilton previously drove, his spot in the rankings has drifted. It's easy for Hamilton fans to pine for a season where the driver can get in the seat of the fastest car on the grid.
