F1 Today: Horner reveals secret Hamilton talks as Red Bull unveil special Austin livery

Christian Horner has revealed that Lewis Hamilton seriously considered joining Red Bull before leaving McLaren for Mercedes in 2012, with the British driver even attending a private meeting at Adrian Newey's home near Ascot.

In his memoir Drive, the former Red Bull team principal explained that Hamilton was becoming increasingly frustrated at McLaren following a series of mechanical failures. Horner first suspected that a move could be on the cards after noticing a missed call from the driver's father.

The discussions eventually progressed to a meeting with Newey, where Hamilton directly asked what it would take to join the team. Horner recalled that Red Bull's technical mastermind was particularly excited by the prospect of pairing the Briton with Sebastian Vettel.

However, Helmut Marko was less enthusiastic, fearing that Hamilton's arrival could disrupt Vettel's position within the team. The considerable financial demands involved also discouraged Horner from pursuing the deal. Hamilton ultimately signed for Mercedes, where he went on to claim six further world championships.

Red Bull have introduced a new Mobil-inspired design for Alisha Palmowski's F1 Academy car ahead of the United States Grand Prix, with the championship leader set to debut the special colours at the Circuit of the Americas on Thursday, 22 October.

Created in collaboration with ExxonMobil, the livery features a stars-and-stripes theme incorporating the red, white and blue colours associated with the Austin circuit. The Mobil brand's iconic red Pegasus appears on the rear wing and sidepods, while Palmowski will also wear specially designed overalls inspired by COTA's Esses section.

The British driver heads into the penultimate round of the season with a 48-point advantage in the championship standings. She has already recorded four victories and four pole positions this year, including wins at each of the previous three rounds.

The design celebrates ExxonMobil's partnership with the Red Bull Racing Academy Programme, which began in 2024, and its commitment to supporting young racing talent. Palmowski will make her first competitive appearance at COTA during the extended four-day race weekend, hoping to move another step closer to securing the championship.