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'Red Bull a drinks company' - Hamilton

ESPNF1 Staff
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Lewis Hamilton insists McLaren will be a stronger team in the long run © Sutton Images
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Lewis Hamilton has quelled speculation he may move to Red Bull in the future by questioning the longevity of the team.

Christian Horner had previously said Hamilton "is not going to be happy if he has another barren year," and Hamilton himself confirmed that he would not be satisfied with one or two titles. But the 2008 world champion said he has doubts over the long-term commitment of Dietrich Mateschitz's team.

"Red Bull are not a manufacturer, they are a drinks company," he told The Guardian. "It's a drinks company versus McLaren/Ferrari history. I don't know what their plan is. Our team is building to become a bigger manufacturer, like Ferrari, and I can only see our team being there for a ridiculous amount of time. It is a pure-bred racing team."

Hamilton also said that despite being the current pace-setting team he doesn't believe Red Bull will continue to be the strongest outfit in years to come.

"I am 100 per cent certain that neither McLaren nor Ferrari will ever let that happen," he said. "They [Red Bull] have not been there as long as our teams. Our teams have got status they would like to keep. For many, many years it has been McLaren and Ferrari at the front and now we have got a new team that has come and knocked us off the top. But I am really certain that either team will do absolutely everything in their power to make sure they can remain at the top."

With Mark Webber questioning the treatment he received at times last year and Hamilton having had problems when Fernando Alonso was his team-mate at McLaren, the Briton told The Telegraph he felt that Red Bull does not give its drivers equal opportunity.

"It appears to me that it is a clear No 1 team," Hamilton said. "That is how it appears from the outside. Mark has also stated it hasn't he? You can only take it from what he says and what it looks like from outside."

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