Lewis Hamilton not interested in ‘psychological battle’ with Red Bull

Red Bull have just poached five Mercedes team members
Hamilton backs his teammate Valtteri Bottas to stay

Lewis Hamilton has said he will not be drawn into mind games against his Red Bull rivals during his attempt to secure his eighth Formula One world championship. The British driver, speaking before this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, was reacting to the announcement on Thursday that Red Bull had poached a further five members of Hamilton’s Mercedes team to work for their new engine division.

Red Bull recruited Ben Hodgkinson as technical director of their new Powertrains department two weeks ago. He had been head of mechanical engineering at Mercedes High Performance Powertrains, has worked at the team’s engine department in Brixworth for 20 years and is seen as a crucial part of the team’s seven consecutive drivers’ and constructors’ championships.