Horner reveals Hamilton held secret Red Bull talks at Newey's home in 2012

Lewis Hamilton came close to joining Red Bull in 2012, with Christian Horner revealing in his upcoming memoir, Drive, that the seven-time world champion held a secret meeting at Adrian Newey’s home near Ascot to discuss a potential move away from McLaren.

Horner writes that Hamilton “seemed to be losing heart at McLaren” that season, with a strained relationship alongside team-mate Jenson Button and a string of mechanical failures compounding his frustrations. The approach began when Horner noticed a missed call from Hamilton’s father, Anthony, which led to the clandestine meeting.

“When a secret meeting was then called, with Lewis, at Adrian’s house near Ascot, my gut instinct was confirmed,” Horner writes. “He was looking to leave McLaren, and we were his preferred destination. ‘What will it take to join you guys?’ he said, as we sat down. Adrian, who is not known for his poker face, looked ecstatic.”

Despite the appeal of pairing Hamilton with the then-reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel — a prospect Horner describes as “tantalising” — the idea quickly ran into internal resistance. Helmut Marko, Vettel’s long-time mentor within Red Bull, was openly unenthusiastic about a move that could threaten his protégé’s position at the team.

“Certainly, Helmut looked unimpressed when he heard the news,” Horner writes. “Lewis’s arrival would likely impact Sebastian, his protege, and he was clearly feeling apprehensive.”

Financial demands ultimately ended any serious pursuit. Horner acknowledges that signing Hamilton “would require staggering sums” and that he “didn’t pursue the idea with any real forcefulness” as a result. He adds that he had a clear sense of who would eventually move to secure the driver: “But the Lewis deal was going to appeal to someone. And I had a good idea of who that someone might be.”

That someone proved to be Mercedes, where Hamilton joined Ross Brawn and Niki Lauda at the end of 2012. The move transformed the sport’s landscape — Hamilton went on to win six of his seven world championships with the Brackley-based team before joining Ferrari ahead of the 2025 season.