Lewis Hamilton’s comments on Adrian Newey resurface amid Ferrari link

Lewis Hamilton’s previous remarks praising Adrian Newey have resurfaced this week ahead of the design guru’s anticipated exit from Red Bull and a potential link-up with Ferrari.

Red Bull design genius Newey, who has been at the world championship-winning team since 2006, is expected to leave the team with Ferrari mooted as his most likely destination.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton is joining the Scuderia from Mercedes next year, with the possibility of Hamilton teaming up with an engineer he has never worked with before now a distinct possibility.

Hamilton, who has not won a race in more than two years, praised the 65-year-old designer two years ago, when Red Bull’s domination of this current ground-effect era of Formula 1 cars began.

“Adrian Newey doesn’t generally build bad cars,” Hamilton said in 2022.

“My first McLaren championship car [in 2007] was an evolution of his car. He did a thesis on ground-effect cars. It’s no surprise, he’s one of the only ones who draws these cars by hand.

“They’ve done a fantastic job and anything I’ve said in the past about the team, I didn’t mean it in a negative way. I think years ago I said something about them being a drinks company and I was just really highlighting that you would bet more on a car company, but they’ve proved me wrong and everyone else.

“But also knowing that Adrian did his thesis on ground effect cars when he was at university – it’s no surprise what he has done and created this year.”

Last month, Hamilton was questioned further on whether he would support Ferrari trying to lure Newey to Maranello in the near future.

“I know he’s a huge part of [Red Bull], of course, but I know there are so many engineers in the background that are a huge part of developing the team and the car that they have and it’s not down to one person,” he said.

“It’s not my decision [to sign him for Ferrari], but I’m competing against him this year at the moment so I can’t really talk about next year just yet.”

Hamilton, 39, has endured his worst start to an F1 season ever, currently positioned ninth in the drivers’ standings after five races and 91 points behind leader Max Verstappen.

The next race of the 2024 season - and second sprint weekend - takes place this weekend in Miami.