Christian Horner revealed that Lewis Hamilton wanted to join Red Bull Racing before moving to Mercedes in 2013. In his upcoming memoir, Drive, the former Red Bull team principal disclosed details of a secret meeting involving Hamilton and legendary designer Adrian Newey in 2012.
Hamilton was growing frustrated at McLaren following a series of mechanical failures during the season. According to Horner, the seven-time World Champion viewed Red Bull as his preferred destination and approached the team to explore a potential move.
Why Red Bull did not sign Lewis Hamilton
Horner recalled that Hamilton met him and Newey at the designer’s home near Ascot, where the British driver directly asked what it would take to join Red Bull. Newey was reportedly enthusiastic about the prospect of pairing Hamilton with Sebastian Vettel, who was already established as the team’s leading driver.
However, the idea raised concerns within Red Bull. Helmut Marko, who had played a key role in Vettel’s development, was apprehensive about how Hamilton’s arrival might affect the German driver. The financial demands involved in securing Hamilton’s services also complicated the negotiations.
Horner explored the possibility through Hamilton’s representative, Simon Fuller, but ultimately didn’t push the deal forward despite recognising the commercial benefits of signing the British star. Hamilton instead left McLaren at the end of 2012 to join Mercedes for the 2013 season. The move proved historic, as he won six world championships with the Silver Arrows, adding to the title he had secured with McLaren in 2008.
