Apr 26, 2011 4:29:33 PM
- JoeRockhead
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- Loc: Topside , Monaco
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Red Bull "just a drinks company" - Hamilton
Uh-huh. Jealous much? 
Lewis Hamilton believes McLaren's deep racing heritage ultimately gives them an advantage over current champion team Red Bull Racing.
He suggested that because the Red Bull team are effectively an off-shoot of a drinks company rather than a firm solely focused on racing and sportscar, they are unlikely to build a long record of success like McLaren and Ferrari's.
"[Red Bull] have not been there as long as our teams," Hamilton was quoted as saying by the Guardian.
"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.
"Red Bull are not a manufacturer, they are a drinks company.
"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."
Red Bull Racing was created when Dietrich Mateschitz's drinks form, a long-time sponsor of various racing teams and drivers, bought the struggling Jaguar F1 squad at the end of 2004.
Hamilton added that while McLaren hadn't had anywhere near as smooth a winter build-up as Red Bull, he had no doubt that his team would get back on the pace - with McLaren bringing a massively revised car to Melbourne in a bid to put their turbulent testing behind them.
"I'm never one to give up," Lewis promised.
"I'm not going to sit here and say 'the championship is over, blah, blah, blah'.
"I'm ready and when the car is ready I will be at the front and I will win races.
"Just because we don't have a winning car right now, that doesn't mean it won't become a world championship-winning car.
"We'll see."
http://www.itv.com/formula1/news/2011/3/lewis-says-red-bull-just-a-drinks-firm-4493/
