Lewis Hamilton held a “secret meeting” with Red Bull in 2012 prior to joining Mercedes , claims Christian Horner in his new book.

Hamilton, who won his only McLaren world drivers’ championship in 2008, was eyeing a move away from the team in 2012 and eventually joined Mercedes, where he won an astonishing six titles across 12 years with the Silver Arrows.

However, in his new memoir Drive , Horner has revealed that Hamilton met him and designer Adrian Newey for a meeting to discuss joining Red Bull – who were in the midst of their first reign of dominance with Sebastian Vettel’s four consecutive championships.

“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.…