Christian Horner has claimed that Lewis Hamilton wanted to move to Red Bull before he joined Formula 1 rivals Mercedes, having revealed a secret meeting that took place between the two parties. The fascinating past revelation comes straight from his new autobiography, Drive, shedding light on a potential transfer that could have altered modern F1 history.
Back in 2012, Hamilton was growing increasingly frustrated at McLaren amid a series of mechanical failures and a strained relationship with teammate Jenson Button. Horner recalled occasionally bumping into him at races before receiving an unexpected phone call from the driver's father, sparking serious internal discussions.
A clandestine meeting was subsequently arranged at the home of legendary technical mastermind Adrian Newey near Ascot. According to the former team principal, the multi-time world champion sat down and directly asked what it would take to join the Milton Keynes outfit alongside Sebastian Vettel.
While Newey looked ecstatic at the tantalizing prospect of pairing two generational talents together, senior advisor Helmut Marko harbored reservations. Marko was reportedly apprehensive that bringing in such a high-profile competitor would negatively impact his favored protege, Vettel.
Ultimately, the staggering financial demands required to pull off the blockbuster deal proved to be too much of a hurdle for Red Bull to pursue aggressively. The lucrative financial expectations meant the partnership never materialized, paving the way for the historic switch to Mercedes instead.
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