Formula 1 great Lewis Hamilton may have suffered his first rejection as a Ferrari driver before his days at Maranello have even begun. And the seven-time world champion’s loss could prove to be Lando Norris’ gain.
That’s after F1 insider Peter Windsor suggested outbound Adrian Newey could choose McLaren as his next base of operations instead of Ferrari. Red Bull’s chief technical officer recently confirmed he’ll leave the team at the end of this season, and he’s sure to be one of the most sought-after hires in the sport ahead of 2025.
The early signs suggested a link-up with the Prancing Horse looked inevitable ahead of Hamilton’s debut in the iconic red. However, it’s Windsor’s belief a move to McLaren could be very plausible for three specific reasons.
“That was the new Lando Norris. He’s super competitive now, and he’s going to win more grands prix, absolutely no doubt,” said journalist and former team chief Windsor in his recap of Sunday’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, where Norris finished second to Max Verstappen. “The way he’s driving. The way McLaren are going as well. Just brilliant.
“Imagine if Adrian Newey goes to McLaren as well. A lot of people saying over the weekend that he’s a shoo-in to go to Ferrari, but he could go to McLaren. It all adds up – [former chief Red Bull engineer] Rob Marshall is there, big mates with [team principal] Zak Brown, [former colleague and engineer] Pete Prod [Peter Prodromou].
“Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri [are] not a bad team of drivers at all! Very near Adrian’s home in the UK. Easy life – go racing historic cars with Zak as well – it would be fun.” Marshall, 56, joined the renovated Red Bull in 2006 around the same time as 65-year-old Newey. The pair worked together on the same engineering team for 18 years before the former jumped ship for McLaren this season.
And Newey also shares a lengthy history with aerodynamicist Prodromou, with whom he previously worked at McLaren in the 1990s before also joining Red Bull in 2006. However, Prodromou rejoined his former employer all the way back in 2014, so there may be some appetite for Newey to reunite with his old colleague after a decade as rivals.
That could spell bad news for Hamilton and his hopes of breaking the title record he currently shares with Ferrari icon Michael Schumacher. A fresh start for the Mercedes man has been tipped as a potential key to finally clinching an eighth world championship, with Verstappen well on his way to challenging for a new benchmark.
It’s believed Newey – who has overseen so much of Red Bull’s success over the past decade and more – could be the key to unlocking a new giant capable of competing for titles. And Windsor is right that all the foundations appear to be in place at McLaren to potentially become that contender.
Norris, 24, proved he has the mettle after finally landing his maiden F1 win at the Miami GP earlier this season. And the conversation over Newey’s next move may not end in the inevitable point towards Italy that many have suggested of late.
