Adrian Newey 'flattered' by Lewis Hamilton desire for Red Bull designer to join Ferrari
Adrian Newey is poised to leave Red Bull before the expiry of his contract with the Formula 1 team, and the design veteran has a big fan in the shape of Lewis Hamilton
Outgoing Red Bull designer Adrian Newey said he's "flattered" by Lewis Hamilton saying he'd love to see him at Ferrari, but stopped short of saying what his next move would be.
Newey, who serves as Red Bull's chief technology officer, has been with the current world champions for the best part of two decades. He is poised to leave after completing the RB 17 project, though, with his exit expected before the offical expiry of his contract at the end of the 2025 season.
The 65-year-old's decision has prompted plenty of speculation over his future, amid reports he held a meeting with a Ferrari representative before his Red Bull exit was confirmed. Hamilton has already committed to joining the Italian team in 2025, and the addition of Newey would be another coup.
Seven-time world champion Hamilton has said Newey would be an "amazing" addition, hailing his track record. And, while Newey was a little more coy, he appeared to respect the driver's comments.
When asked how keen he'd be to work with Newey, Hamilton said "very much". "Adrian has got such a great history and track record," the 39-year-old explained.
"He's obviously done an amazing job through his career and engaging with teams and the knowledge he has. I think he would be an amazing addition. Ferrari have already got a great team. They are already making huge progress and strides, their car is quicker this year. He [Newey] would be a privilege to work with."
When asked by Sky Sports about Hamilton's comments, Newey said: “It’s very kind of Lewis to say that, and I’m very flattered. But at the moment it’s just take a little bit of a break and see what happens next.”
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On Friday, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner suggested Newey's exit had been a long time in the making, arguing it wasn't accelerated by recent drama surrounding the team. However, Newey's own comments appeared to bring this into question.
"If I'm honest, kind of," the designer said ahead of this weekend's Miami Grand Prix when asked about whether he'd been planning to leave for a while. "I guess over the winter, a little bit, and then events have unfolded [within Red Bull].
"This year, I'm in a very lucky position where I don't need to work to live. I work because I enjoy it. And as I say, I just felt that now is a good time to to step back and take a bit of a break and take stock of life and go travelling a bit.
" Formula 1 is all-consuming. I've been at it for a long time now. 2021 was a really busy year because of the tight battle with Mercedes through the championship and at the same time putting all the research and development into the [RB]18, which was the father of this generation of cars. Then, I don't know, there comes a point where, as Forrest Gump said, I'm feeling a little bit tired."
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