Memoir claims Hamilton’s ‘preferred destination’ was Red Bull when he first was exploring a move away from McLaren

Former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner claims in his new book that he held a “secret meeting” with Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton before the driver’s 2013 move from McLaren to Mercedes.

The partnership with Mercedes saw Hamilton add six more F1 world championships (2014-15, 2017-20) to the 2008 crown he won with McLaren. Hamilton, now 41, left Mercedes to join Ferrari in 2025.

According to The Athletic’s review of Horner’s memoir Drive, Hamilton’s “preferred destination” was Red Bull when he first was exploring a move away from McLaren.

Horner said that during a phone call in 2012 with Hamilton’s father, Anthony, a meeting was arranged at the home of Red Bull technical chief Adrian Newey.

“When a secret meeting was then called, with Lewis, at Adrian’s house near Ascot, my gut instinct was confirmed,” Horner wrote. “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.”

At the time, Red Bull was in the midst of winning four straight F1 constructors’ championships from 2010-13 as driver Sebastian Vettel won four straight drivers’ championships during those same years.

According to Horner, Newey was “ecstatic” about potentially signing Hamilton, however, motorsport advisor Helmut Marko was “unimpressed” and “apprehensive”.

Horner said he “tested the waters anyway,” but the two sides ran into a “stumbling block” with the money, with Hamilton asking for “staggering sums”.

Horner, 52, was fired by Red Bull in July 2025 after winning six constructors’ championships and eight drivers’ championships, the last four with Max Verstappen from 2021-24.