Newey ‘very flattered’ as he responds to Hamilton’s comments about joining him at Ferrari

Adrian Newey has given a response to Lewis Hamilton after the seven-time world champion commented that it would be “privilege” to work with him at Ferrari in the future, following confirmation of his impending Red Bull exit.

Newey dominated the headlines leading into last weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, with the announcement landing that the legendary designer will leave the Milton Keynes operation – after almost two decades onboard – in the first quarter of 2025.

READ MORE: Hamilton admits it would be a ‘privilege’ to work with ‘amazing’ Newey at Ferrari in 2025

During his time at Red Bull, Newey has played a key role in the team’s six constructors’ titles, seven drivers’ titles and 117 Grand Prix wins to date, adding to an array of championships achieved at Williams and McLaren.

Given that impressive track record, Newey has been linked with several rival teams in the days following the communication from Red Bull, one of those being Ferrari – the outfit Hamilton will join next year.

Newey said during a recent appearance on the Beyond The Grid podcast that he held a certain “emotional” regret at not having Ferrari on his CV, while admitting it “would have been fabulous” to work with Hamilton or fellow world champion Fernando Alonso at some point in his career.

Speaking shortly after confirmation of Newey’s decision to leave Red Bull arrived, Hamilton stated that the star designer would be an “amazing addition” to Ferrari, while putting him “absolutely at the top” of his wish list.

READ MORE: Horner concedes Red Bull will be ‘very sad’ to see Newey leave as he hints at what star designer will do next

Asked for his response to Hamilton’s words in an interview with Sky Sports F1, Newey said: “It’s very kind of Lewis to say that. I’m very flattered, but at the moment it’s just take a little bit of a break and see what happens next.”

It remains to be seen whether Newey, now 65, will commit to another chapter in F1, but the Briton did share how much he enjoyed the challenge of adapting to the recent ground effect rules reset, which came into play in 2022.

Another round of regulation changes is on the way for the 2026 season, when power units will feature increased electrical power and 100% sustainable fuels are to be introduced, amongst other items.

“I do enjoy regulation changes, for sure,” added Newey. “This current crop of regulations was the biggest regulation change we’ve had since 1983 when flat bottom cars came in, so I really enjoyed the challenge of all the research and detail design of that car.

READ MORE: ‘A huge loss for Red Bull’ – Team bosses give their take on Newey’s exit and whether they hope to sign the designer

“The two subsequent cars are evolutions of that car, and next year’s car will be the third evolution of that car, so it’s been a great series, one that surprised me just how much there is in these cars. When I first looked at the regulations, I wasn’t so sure, but it’s been fun.”

For the time being, Newey insists he has “no plan” regarding what he will do next, explaining that his initial aim is to “step back, take a bit of a break and take stock of life”.