MIAMI (AFP) – Lewis Hamilton added fuel to the rumours over the future of departing Red Bull designer Adrian Newey saying on Thursday that he would be an "amazing addition" for his future team Ferrari.
Red Bull confirmed the 65-year-old Newey's impending exit in early 2025, after 19 years with the team.
Media reports have suggested that Ferrari would be among the favourites to snap up Newey, who is regarded as the greatest designer in the sport's history.
Hamilton, who will join Ferrari from Mercedes at the end of this season, told reporters at the Miami Grand Prix that he would like to see Newey join Ferrari.
"Very much...Adrian's got such a great history, track record, he's just done an amazing job through his career in engaging with teams and the knowledge that he has," he said.
"I think he would be an amazing addition," he added.
Hamilton declined to discuss if the prospect of Newey joining the Scuderia had been part of his contract negotiations.
But he said he would be thrilled to work personally with Newey.
"If I was to do a list of people that I'd love to work with, he would absolutely be at the top there," he said.
But Hamilton pushed back a little against the idea that Newey's exit would lead to a sudden decline for Red Bull.
"Racing against the team that he has been so heavily a part of for years has been a massive challenge but I think we need to remember that there are a lot of people in the background and it is not one person, it's a whole team who do the job,
"I don't anticipate Red Bull not continuing to build great cars moving forwards but any team would be fortunate to have the opportunity to work with him," he added.
'MORE THAN A DESIGNER'
Red Bull team have won six constructors' titles and seven drivers' titles, split between Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, with Newey-designed cars to date.
They are on course to do the double again in 2024, with Dutch driver Verstappen the dominant force in the sport.
Newey, expected to be in Miami for this weekend's race, has also worked with championship-winning teams at Williams and McLaren in his long career.
Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez said he was sure that Newey would have a significant impact wherever he ends up in the sport.
"Adrian, with the experience he has, he has contributed a lot to the Red Bull philosophy so I assume he will cause an immediate impact wherever he goes or whatever he does," the Mexican said.
"He is a very clever guy and a very hard worker. Working with Adrian, he is much more than a designer, he can influence even strategies, set-up, he could have that influence on a race weekend.
"To have him around on race weekends was great. He is a very strong individual and wherever he goes he will cause an immediate impact. But it is a whole group of people that he will require to have around him as well," he added.
Perez, whose long-term future at Red Bull remains uncertain, said that he was sure the team would be able to cope with the departure of the influential designer.
"It is obviously not ideal, he has been tremendous to our team, to our organisation, and he is also a very good friend of mine from all the time we've spent together.
"But, at the end of the day, there are times in life when you spend 20 years at Red Bull I think he probably wants to do something else and that is fair.
"I think Red Bull is in a great place and it has a very strong organisation," he said.
"You've seen in the past at these big teams, big names when they leave they will always exist, it isn't down to one single individual. It is a whole organisation and I think Christian [Horner] has done a great job in preparing for the next generation of what is going to happen at Red Bull," he added.