Lewis Hamilton teases Ferrari could lure Adrian Newey to F1 in 2025 amid Red Bull's current turmoil, proving 'anything is possible' with a move to the Scuderia he claimed.
Despite Red Bull's current status as F1's dominant force, the reigning constructors' champions are in turmoil amidst the Christian Horner scandal.
Will Lewis Hamilton bring Adrian Newey to Ferrari?
After an investigation into Horner was dismissed last week, Max Verstappen's father Jos publicly announced the long-time team principal's resignation, accusing Horner of “playing the victim when he is causing the problem”. requested.
The schism between the teams comes as concerns over the future of key figures within the Red Bull team, including Verstappen, who did not close the door on a potential move to Mercedes on Wednesday, and Newey, the most decorated F1 designer in history. It leads to speculation.
Ahead of this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Hamilton, who shocked the F1 world last month by announcing a sensational move to Ferrari ahead of 2025, has confirmed that Verstappen is a candidate to replace him at Mercedes despite his contract with Red Bull. He claimed he was “certain” to be on the list. It will continue until 2028.
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He hinted that Ferrari could make a move for Newey, but admitted it was “not my decision”.
Newey has been frequently linked with a move to Ferrari throughout his career, with the Italian team the closest to securing a contract for him after Sebastian Vettel's early dominance at Red Bull ended in 2014.
Asked if he could imagine Verstappen leaving for Mercedes and Newey heading to Ferrari, Hamilton told media in Jeddah: “Yes.
“No additional scoops.” [Mercedes’ plans]. I'm sure Max is on the list, but he's definitely tied up – and I don't understand why anyone would part with such a good car!
“But in terms of Adrian, having worked within the team, I know that Adrian clearly receives praise for everyone's work.
“Obviously I know he's a big part of it, but in the development of the team and the car they have, there are so many engineers behind it that it's not the work of one person. I also know that.
“So it’s not my decision.
“At the moment I can't talk specifically about next year yet because I'm playing against him this year.”
Newey, who joined Red Bull in 2006 after successful stints with Williams and McLaren, said in his 2017 autobiography that his decision to turn down Ferrari in 2014 was due to his admiration for Red Bull's culture. He stated that he felt that it “represented the true spirit of the automobile.” race”
he said: “We've grown from a paddock joke, a start-up, a hard-partying soda company to a four-time world champion. And we've done it the old-fashioned way, using the principles that to me In the true spirit of auto racing.
“I remembered the beginning of the 2012 season when I couldn't get the car adjusted correctly and I was proud that my shoulders weren't down. We put our heads down, worked on it and solved the problem.
“Instead of buying up the names of star players, we thought about how we developed young drivers. How we helped put Milton Keynes on the map. We have never quit. We have always taken the road less traveled, even if it means facing seemingly insurmountable problems or technical challenges. I never chose the simple option in search of a better life, and I never got complacent and decided, “That's enough.''
“We have always continued to innovate.”
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