Lewis Hamilton has hit back at Christian Horner’s claim that pairing him with Sebastian Vettel would risk creating “fireworks” at Red Bull.

“Look at me and Jenson (Button),” said the McLaren driver, referring to his current teammate. “World champions can definitely race together as long as there is quality in the team.”

British reporters asked the 26-year-old if the rumours and counter-rumours about his future, particularly the link with Red Bull, had him “rattled”.

He denied it and insisted it’s “positive I’m being talked about, which means I’m not forgotten”, added Hamilton in quotes published by Fleet Street newspapers from Malaysia.

But apparently pouring water on a possible tie-up with Red Bull, Hamilton suggested Vettel is the one who would cause the fireworks if he switched to the reigning championship-winning team.

“Some individuals can take being beaten, some are better losers or better winners,” he said.

“When I beat Jenson, he doesn’t whinge and say ‘Oh, Lewis has a better car than me or Lewis did this and I did that’.”

And he tentatively committed his future to McLaren.

“I’m contracted for the next two years and I want to win world championships here. I hope that continues, but you never know what happens in the future,” said Hamilton.

Dyed-in-the-wool racer Martin Brundle on Monday said he sees no quick end to Red Bull’s new self-induced crisis.

“I doubt that trip across the Atlantic for the next round in Montreal will extinguish these fireworks,” the BBC commentator said on Monday, as the international media got to work on Sebastian Vettel’s crash at Istanbul Park with race leader and teammate Mark Webber.

The Sun’s headline referred to the one-two gift handed to McLaren, toying with the energy drink’s slogan by insisting “Red Bull gives you wins”.

Other sections of the press were more serious.

“Red Bull has a conflict of jealously and betrayal,” said El Mundo newspaper in Spain.

Italy’s La Repubblica likened the previously dominant team’s self-destruction to “suicide”.

Britain’s The Independent referred to the fact that Webber, branded crazy by Vettel’s gesticulations and told by his bosses that he should have let the young German past, must now have the impression he is the number two driver.

Webber acknowledged that Vettel’s gesticulations were caused by the “adrenalin” of the moment, but “Red Bull need to take steps to ensure the current world championship leader can have complete faith that the support within the team is spread evenly”, said the newspaper.

And Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport noted that the 33-year-old is “not the kind of guy who is told to finish second”.

Strangely within the paddock, it was only the Red Bull bosses who thought Webber had done something wrong.

“Where should Mark have gone?” Lewis Hamilton – who had a box-seat view of the incident that unfolded in front of him – told German television Sky.

“I think the gap he left him was big enough.

“Even though Jenson and I both want to win, we also have respect for each other.  I’m really happy that I have such a good relationship with my teammate.”

Said Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg: “Mark didn’t move at all.  For me, it was clearly Sebastian’s fault.”

Niki Lauda said the 22-year-old had been “much too aggressive”, and former driver Alex Wurz noted in Turkey: “All my racing colleagues are in agreement that it was Vettel’s fault.”

Ross Brawn thinks these situations can be minimised if drivers know clearly the rules of engagement.

“It depends on what has been said beforehand,” the Mercedes team boss is quoted by Die Welt newspaper.  “Although it’s racing, the rules must be known to the drivers.”

Peter Sauber, meanwhile, had some sympathy for Christian Horner, admitting to Blick newspaper in Switzerland that these situations are “a nightmare for a team chief”.

(GMM)