The Red Bull boss detailed the approach in his tell-all book, Drive, recounting significant moments of his career in Formula 1.

According to Planet F1, in one particular passage, Horner describes an attempt by the then-non-executive chairman of Mercedes, Niki Lauda, to recruit him away from Red Bull.

By this time, Horner had already established Red Bull as a formidable force in Formula 1, having led the team to its first race victories and Constructors' Championship within five years of its entry into the sport.

Sebastian Vettel, under Horner's guidance, also secured his maiden driver's crown in 2010.

In 2012, as Lewis Hamilton's motivation at McLaren was waning, he sought a secret meeting with Red Bull to explore the possibility of joining the Milton Keynes-based team.

However, a deal was never reached due to various factors, including Hamilton's high salary demands and Helmut Marko's preference for Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull's existing junior prospects.

Dietrich Mateschitz also reportedly had reservations about the idea, given the personality clashes between Vettel and Mark Webber.

Thus, the pursuit of Hamilton was never fully committed to, and he eventually joined Mercedes, enticed by Niki Lauda.

Horner revealed that Lauda and he had discussed the matter, with the Austrian seeking a suitable replacement for the retiring Michael Schumacher after 2012.

Toto Wolff (Image: David Davies/PA)

Lauda was reportedly uncertain about the deal due to the financial commitment required.

Horner suggested to Lauda that he could personally underwrite the contract, with the idea being that he could recoup the money from revenue streams such as merchandise sales.

Horner explained that by the time of the Singapore Grand Prix that year, he believed Lauda had successfully persuaded Hamilton to join Mercedes for 2013.

However, the ongoing communication between the two led Lauda to approach Horner directly, as Mercedes was considering a successor to Ross Brawn.

In his memoir, Horner wrote: "Maybe our interactions over Lewis had stuck with him because later that year, during the Christmas break, Niki came to my house and asked me to join Mercedes as his team principal.

"I was caught off guard. Leaving Red Bull had never crossed my mind.

"When he then laid out a series of dazzling numbers, I realised he was discussing my potential salary.

"Red Bull will never pay you what Mercedes can," he said.

"I respect you as a racer. I want you to come. Besides, Helmut is a miserable bastard."

Horner declined the offer, citing his loyalty to Dietrich Mateschitz and the Red Bull team, stating: "So as much as I appreciate this, I’m not going to join Mercedes."