‘He won’t work anywhere to help Lewis Hamilton’ – Ferrari ruled out for Adrian Newey by leading pundit

Adrian Newey, Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari

Despite talk of Adrian Newey linking up with Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari, Dutch journalist Jack Plooij says Hamilton’s 2025 arrival would actually stop the acclaimed designer from moving to Maranello.

Instead, he believes if Newey decides to continue in Formula 1, it would “only” be with a team that has Max Verstappen who has been linked to Mercedes.

‘I don’t think he will work anywhere to help Lewis Hamilton win a title’

In a year of major announcements, Newey joined Hamilton in breaking the internet when he announced that he’d be leaving Red Bull within the first quarter of 2025.

Like Hamilton, he too signed a new two-year contract last year for 2024 and ’25, but also like Hamilton, he’ll walk away earlier than expected.

While Hamilton’s shock announcement was that he’s off to Ferrari, Newey’s – at least for now – is that he is leaving Red Bull with speculation Ferrari could be his next destination.

The Scuderia have made several plays for the design guru over the decades, but now it’s being said they may finally seal the deal.

Plooij doesn’t see that happening.

“If Newey ever works somewhere again, it will be together with Verstappen,” predicted the Ziggo Sport journalist.

“I don’t think he will work anywhere to help Lewis Hamilton win a title. I think he gets so much joy out of Max.

“Are we still thinking about 2021? Who was crying [happy tears] at the pit wall? Newey!

“Horner was just like, yeah baby, yeah baby! Newey was crying. He was so intensely happy with that.

“So I really trust that he will only go somewhere if Max is there.”

Verstappen, despite having a contract with Red Bull that runs though to 2028, continues to be linked to a move to Mercedes in 2026.

More on Adrian Newey’s Red Bull departure

👉Helmut Marko predicts Adrian Newey’s next F1 team… and it’s not who you think

👉Max Verstappen reveals crucial advice to Adrian Newey with Red Bull exit confirmed

What Lewis Hamilton and Adrian Newey said about potential 2025 collaboration

Hamilton personally would love to work with Newey, whose cars have won 25 championship titles with another two on the horizon with Red Bull.

Asked in Miami if he’d like Newey to join him at Ferrari, Hamilton replied: “Very much.

“Adrian’s got such a great history, track record and has just done an amazing job through his career in engaging with teams and the knowledge that he has and I think he would be an amazing addition.

“I think they’ve already got a great team. They’re already making huge progress, strides forwards. Their car is quicker this year. But yeah, it would be a privilege to work with him.

“If I was to do a list of people that I’d love to work with, he would absolutely be at the top of it.”

As for Newey, he was “flattered” to hear this from Hamilton but today is standing firm on his desire to take a break from Formula 1.

“Honestly, it’s very kind of Lewis to say that, I’m very flattered,” he told Sky Sports.

“But at the moment, it’s just take a little bit of a break and see what happens next.

“I think Mandy, my wife, and the dogs, we’ll probably go travelling, we’ll probably get a motorhome or something, go down through France and just enjoy life.

“And then maybe at some point, I don’t know when, I’ll be standing in the shower and say, ‘Right, this is going to be the next adventure’.

“But right now, there is no plan.”