As Crash.net reports, Christian Horner has claimed that Lewis Hamilton wanted to move to Red Bull prior to joining Formula 1 rivals Mercedes, revealing that a secret meeting took place between the two parties. Hamilton departed McLaren at the conclusion of the 2012 season to sign a multi-year deal with Mercedes, a decision that faced questions across the F1 paddock at the time. Having claimed his maiden F1 world title with McLaren in 2008, the Briton subsequently secured another six world championships with Mercedes ahead of a blockbuster transfer to Ferrari in 2025.
According to former Red Bull team principal Horner, Hamilton initially approached the Milton Keynes outfit about partnering Sebastian Vettel, with discussions even taking place at Adrian Newey's house. Writing in his new autobiography, Drive, Horner explained that Hamilton appeared to be losing heart at McLaren amid a strained relationship with Jenson Button and a series of mechanical failures throughout 2012. After noticing a missed call from Hamilton's father, Horner suspected a change of opinion regarding Red Bull.
That suspicion was confirmed when a secret meeting was called with Hamilton at Adrian Newey's house near Ascot. Asking what it would take to join the team, Hamilton made it clear Red Bull was his preferred destination as he looked to leave McLaren. Both Horner and Newey were intrigued by the prospect of pairing Hamilton with Sebastian Vettel, though former Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko held reservations. Marko was clearly feeling apprehensive as the arrival would likely impact his protégé, Vettel.
Financial demands ultimately put Red Bull off, as the deal would have required staggering sums of money. Horner noted that an opening gambit from Simon Fuller involved talking about the biggest sports deal since Muhammad Ali, making it clear that Red Bull would have to spend a fortune. Despite the marketing upside and Adrian Newey's enthusiasm, the idea was not pursued with real forcefulness.
By 2012, Hamilton had transformed into an iconic figure and an elite racer with explosive pace, boasting seventeen Grands Prix wins, nineteen pole positions, and his 2008 world championship. Fearless, fantastic in the wet, and a commercial dream, he was just about the perfect challenger to Sebastian Vettel before the financial realities brought the talks to an end.
