Formula One F1 - Azerbaijan Grand Prix - Baku City Circuit, Baku, Azerbaijan - September 12, 2024 Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton ahead of the grand prix REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
BAKU (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton said star designer Adrian Newey's decision to join Aston Martin rather than Ferrari, the team the seven times Formula One world champion will be racing for next season, changed nothing for him.
Aston Martin announced on Tuesday that Newey, 65, would join next March as Managing Technical Partner and shareholder after a long stint with champions Red Bull. Ferrari had also been keen to sign him.
Asked by reporters at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Thursday if he felt disappointed at having missed the chance to work with the sport's leading designer, the most successful driver replied "honestly, no".
"I feel like whilst I mentioned before that it would be good to work with Adrian I've been privileged to work with two championship winning teams that didn't have Adrian," he explained.
"I think probably any team would have been happy to have had him, but at the end of the day he had to do what was best for him. It doesn't change anything for me or my will or my focus with the next move, so still 100% that there is lots we can do."
Cars designed by Newey have won 25 drivers' and constructors' championships for Williams, McLaren and Red Bull. His 2023 Red Bull was the most dominant in the sport's history with 21 wins from 22 races.
Red Bull's championship leader Max Verstappen told reporters that while he didn't believe the team's recent struggles were linked with Newey's departure, he believed the designer was someone "everyone would like to work with".
"Adrian and I have a very good understanding. I sent him a message after the news came out, even though of course I knew that it was coming. So I'm happy for him, you know, it's a new challenge," the Dutch triple world champion said.
"I always said I would have loved him to stay, but at one point you can't overturn these things so then you're just excited for people seeking new challenges."
Asked whether he would consider a move to Aston Martin in the future, Verstappen said he was worried about other issues at the moment.
"That is something maybe for the future that I think about, but not now," he added.
(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu, editing by Toby Davis)
