Lewis Hamilton told success of Ferrari move ‘totally depends’ on Adrian Newey 2025 decision

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When the chequered flag flew at the British Grand Prix on Sunday, the jubilation among the home fans would have been mixed with a tinge of relief.

Lewis Hamilton was emotional in his cockpit after achieving the 104^th victory of his Formula 1 career, nearly 1000 days since his previous win.

It gave Mercedes fans the chance to witness their hero win one more race at Silverstone, as his next visit to the circuit will see him wearing the iconic red overalls of Ferrari.

He may have been glancing over at his new team during the race and wondering what was going on.

Carlos Sainz was praised by Max Verstappen after the race, but could only finish 5^th, while Charles Leclerc had another weekend to forget.

The Monegasque driver failed to reach Q3 and a botched strategy call ruined his race, with Martin Brundle concerned by Leclerc’s lack of control over what tyres he was on at key points in the race.

Speaking on The Chequered Flag Podcast, driver Sam Bird and pundit Marc Priestley were discussing Hamilton’s move to Ferrari.

They wondered whether Hamilton was making the right choice and suggested that Adrian Newey’s future could play a key role in the success of his latest career venture.

READ MORE: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family

Adrian Newey could prove pivotal to Lewis Hamilton’s success at Ferrari

Talking about the performance of Mercedes against Ferrari, Bird said: “That’s another talking point actually, the fact that Mercedes are figuring out this car and these regulations and trending in the right direction.

“Yet where he’s going, at the moment, is trending in the wrong direction.

“I bet you he’s thinking, ‘Have I made the right choice here? I’ve loved Ferrari, I’ve wanted to go there for a while, am I making the right choice?’

“I think it totally depends on where Mr [Adrian] Newey goes.”

Priestley added: “Yeah, he could be a big player in this whole thing.”

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

Ferrari still working on signing Adrian Newey

Lewis Hamilton is unlikely to be regretting his decision to move to Ferrari in 2025 even if Mercedes appear to have the edge at this stage of the season.

Ferrari brought a major update package to the Spanish Grand Prix, but it was telling that both drivers ran without some of those parts at Silverstone.

Carlos Sainz suggested that the development had set them back months, via Autosport, after having to revert to the Imola spec of his car at the British Grand Prix.

That’s where the importance of Adrian Newey comes into the equation.

Newey was spotted in the paddock at the British Grand Prix suggesting he still plans to be working in Formula 1 once his time at Red Bull comes to an end.

His expertise would be essential in not only guiding Ferrari on what direction to take on future developments but also when starting work on their 2026 car for the new regulations.

Newey has reportedly been negotiating the final details of a contract with Ferrari, however, he’s unlikely to announce his future until at least September.

Hamilton’s move to Ferrari never relied on Newey heading in the same direction but he would be a significant boost to their hopes of ending their long wait for a title.