Lewis Hamilton wants Ferrari to sign Adrian Newey (Picture: Getty)
Lewis Hamilton has urged Ferrari to secure the services of Adrian Newey after the British car engineer announced his departure from Red Bull.
Newey, largely considered the greatest car designer in the sport’s history, will be able to sign for a new team at the start of next year after ending his 18-year association with Red Bull.
It comes amid the ongoing power struggle within the team that has escalated as a result of the Christian Horner scandal.
Hamilton, who is moving to Ferrari next season, has never worked with Newey before in his career but, speaking ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, said he would relish the opportunity.
‘If I was to do a list of people I would love to work with, he would absolutely be at the top of it. Any team would be fortunate to have the opportunity to work with him,’ the Mercedes driver said.
‘He’s got such a great story, track record, just done such an amazing job through his career. I think he’d be an amazing addition. Ferrari have a great team already, but it would be a privilege to work with him.
‘Racing against a team he has been so heavily a part of over the years has been a massive challenge, but any team would be fortunate to have the opportunity to work with him.’
Newey has worked for Red Bull since 2006 (Photo: Getty)
For Red Bull, meanwhile, the news represents the latest blow in what has been a distracting start to the season off the track.
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen sought to play down the impact of Newey’s departure but admitted he did not want to see the 65-year-old leave.
‘I would have preferred him to stay for sure. I really trust the technical team we have is very strong and they have shown that in the last few years with how competitive the car is,’ he said.
‘From the outside, it looks very dramatic but if you know what is happening inside the team it’s not as dramatic as it seems.’
What do the latest rumours say?
Reports in Italy suggest that Ferrari have already begun talks to thrash out a deal and acquire Newey’s services.
Other teams such as McLaren and Mercedes are not said to be interested in a deal, while Newey – who already earns a reported £10million per year – is said to be put off by a move to Aston Martine due to reservations about team owner Lance Stroll.
Newey has guided Red Bull to six constructors’ championships (Picture: Getty)
What has he said about working with Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton?
Newey has been approached on multiple occasions by the Maranello outfit, most famously in 2014, but a deal was never reached.
In the past, meanwhile, Newey has spoken about his regret at not working with Hamilton or Fernando Alonso throughout their careers, something that could change should Newey and Hamilton both end up at Ferrari next year.
‘Working with Fernando and Lewis would have been fabulous. But it never happened. It’s just circumstance sometimes, that’s the way it is,’ he said in 2023 on the Beyond the Grid podcast.
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When could he join Ferrari?
When announcing his departure, Red Bull confirmed that Newey would not have to serve any gardening leave and would be able to join another team in the spring of 2025.
That could mean that Ferrari could have Newey onboard for the start of next season, potentially even before the season-opener in Melbourne.
For the Italian team, who have not won a Constructors’ Championships since 2008, the move could come at an ideal time, with all teams having to make major redesigns to their cars ahead of key regulation changes in 2026.
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