Lewis Hamilton comments on working with Adrian Newey at Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton on the possibility of being joined by Adrian Newey at Ferrari - and the impact his exit may have on Red Bull.
Lewis Hamilton admits he would “very much” like to have Adrian Newey join him at Ferrari, saying it would be a “privilege” to work with the legendary F1 designer.
Ahead of this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, Red Bull confirmed their design chief Newey will leave the team in early 2025 after nearly two decades at Milton Keynes.
Hamilton is quitting Mercedes to join Ferrari next season and the Italian outfit are favourites to sign the 65-year-old.
Asked how much he would like to see Newey join him at Ferrari next year, the seven-time world champion replied with a smile: "Very much.”
Hamilton added he would be “very” excited to get the opportunity to work with Newey, who has played a role in all of Red Bull’s F1 wins and world championships.
“Adrian has such a great history and track record. He’s done an amazing job through his career, engaging with teams and the knowledge he has. I think he would be an amazing addition,” he said.
“I think they [Ferrari] already have a great team, making huge strides forward and progress. Their car is quicker this year. But it would be a privilege to work with him.”
Hamilton was asked if trying to poach Newey was part of his “wishlist” when he was negotiating his contract with Ferrari.
“This is all private conversation stuff,” he replied. “If I was to do a list of people I would love to work with, he would absolutely be at the top of it.
“I don’t know. We’ll see.”
But Hamilton does not expect Red Bull to suddenly lose competitiveness following Newey’s departure.
“When I joined McLaren I think it was an evolution of his car. I got there just after I left, so that car would have evolved from a concept that he had worked on,” he said.
“I felt privileged that I had the chance to touch something that he had worked on.
“Racing against the team that he’s been so heavily a part of has been a massive challenge but I think we have to remember there are a lot of people in the background.
“It’s not one person, it’s a whole team of people who do the job. You can imagine all the amazing experience that he brings to the team, but the people that he works with will continue to do an amazing job.
“I don’t anticipate Red Bull not continuing to building great cars moving forward. But any team would be fortunate to have the opportunity to work with him.”
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for Crash.net around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
