Adrian Newey departing Red Bull has led to a swathe of questions about what he could do next, and Sky Sports’ David Croft explained there could be a knock-on effect for Lewis Hamilton if he decided to join Ferrari.
Newey had left McLaren for Red Bull the year before Hamilton joined the Formula 1 grid, and Red Bull’s chief technology officer admitted his wish to have worked with both Hamilton and Fernando Alonso at some point, though it has not come to fruition so far.
Adrian Newey to Ferrari with Lewis Hamilton? ‘What a force that would be’
Newey has been linked with Ferrari on multiple occasions throughout his career, the famed designer having acknowledged that he has turned down three separate approaches from the Scuderia in Formula 1 and IndyCar respectively over time.
However, a report from Italian media claimed that team boss Fred Vasseur was reportedly in London this week to try and discuss a fresh approach to bring Newey to Maranello.
The amicable terms on which Newey is set to leave Red Bull mean he looks set to be a free agent after the first quarter of 2025, and should he wish to remain in Formula 1, Ferrari appear almost certain to be interested in his services.
Should such a move take place, Sky’s lead commentator Croft believes the impact for Lewis Hamilton – who joins Ferrari himself in 2025 – could be significant in his search for a record-breaking eighth World Championship.
“There will be some that try to tempt Newey to come to them,” Croft said on Sky Sports News.
“Ferrari, who have made offers to sign Newey in the past which he’s turned down, and Aston Martin who we understand to have made a very bold bid and a very sizable sum of money to tempt Adrian to go to their factory at Silverstone and link up with their Group CEO Martin Whitmarsh, who Newey worked with in his McLaren days.
“It’s a huge, huge story. As much as Red Bull try to downplay it and that Newey is just one person and one person doesn’t make the final difference, in Newey’s case it does.
“His record, the championships he’s won and the cars he’s designed over the years that have won over 200 Grands Prix, shows just what a force he is.
“I think we are all a bit romantic at heart but this could be the most romantic story that Lewis Hamilton’s ever had in his career, if Adrian Newey is to go and join the seven-time World Champion at Ferrari.
“What a force that would be. Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Newey at Maranello to try and bring back the glory days for Ferrari and to try and help Hamilton to an eighth world title and maybe Leclerc to a first.”
