Red Bull would never consider swapping Max Verstappen for Lewis Hamilton as it sees the former as the future of Formula 1, according to Chꦿristian Horner. 

Since graduating to Red Bull in 2016, Verstappen has already racked up five grand prix victories and has been tipped to challenge five-time world champion Lewis Hamil🎶ton and Mercedes’ currentꦕ dominance of the sport following the team’s switch to Honda engines. 

Speaking𒆙 in a wide-ranging interview with , Horner revealed that Red Bull passed up the opportunity to sign Hamilton back in 2012 before ultimately sealing a move to Mercedes. 

Asked if ๊he would trade Verstappen for Hamilton, Horner sa🌜id: “No - Max is the future. 

“He is 21 years of age and he is evolving. Both he a🐷nd Lewis are phenomenal drivers. Lewis is one of the best of all time. Max has won grands prix but is yet to coಞmpete for a championship.

“However in terms of all-round abilityꩲ, race🍎 craft and speed, Max is capable of going shoulder to shoulder with Lewis.”

Horn♔er, who previously claimed Verstappen is the driver he believes Hamilton fears the most out of the current F1 grid, reckons it is good for the sport to have such characters. 

“♈Max was top scorer behind Hamilton in the second half of last season, so that shows how well he was driving,” he said. 

“Max was criticised in some quarters when he showed emotion after th﷽e race with Ocon. At least there was passion. People relate to that kind of emotion.

“That is why he has such a big🗹 following. We don't want vanilla characters. Lewis is a Marmite kind of guy. That is good.

“It goes to the heart of what Formula 1 must look to be post-2020, when the new regulati🃏ons come in. 

“The drivers must be the stars of the show. They must get out of the cars exhausted. T𒀰echnology plays too big a role at this moment in time.”