Lewis Hamilton almost joined a rival Formula 1 team and even held a secret meeting before a proposed switch fell through due to finances.

Hamilton began his F1 legendary career with McLaren and won his maiden championship with the British motor racing team. He ended his association with McLaren by joining Mercedes for the 2013 season, winning an incredible six world titles with the team.

Of course, the 41-year-old signed a multi-year deal with Ferrari in 2024 ahead of the 2025 F1 season.

But his glittering career could have played out very differently had he joined a new team during his McLaren days.

Lewis Hamilton Held Secret Meeting With F1 Team

Hamilton's first F1 career move was leaving McLaren for Mercedes, but had things turned out differently, he could have teamed up with Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull.

That's according to Christian Horner, who revealed details of a secret meeting between Hamilton and then-Red Bull chief Adrian Newey in his new book titled 'Drive: A Memoir of Speed'.

Horner claims the British driver seemed to be 'losing heart' at McLaren and organised a meeting to discuss a potential switch to Red Bull.

"Lewis Hamilton seemed to be losing heart at McLaren. From the outside, his relationship with Jenson Button looked strained, and his head was dropping after a series of mechanical failures throughout 2012," he wrote.

"I occasionally bumped into him at races, and we were always friendly (despite his comment about Red Bull being just a drinks company), but I thought he seemed strangely vulnerable for a former world champion.

"Then, while checking my phone for missed calls and messages one day, I noticed his father’s number on the screen and wondered whether Lewis was experiencing a change of opinion regarding Red Bull."

Horner added: "When a secret meeting was then called, with Lewis, at Adrian’s house near Ascot, my gut instinct was confirmed. He was looking to leave McLaren, and we were his preferred destination. 'What will it take to join you guys?' he said, as we sat down.

"Adrian, who is not known for his poker face, looked ecstatic. I could hardly blame him. A driver pairing of Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton was a tantalising prospect."

At the time of the discussion, Hamilton was represented by Simon Fuller, who had previously looked after the likes of David Beckham and Andy Murray.

But once they began to talk about a move to Red Bull, it was quickly scuppered by the financial demands involved, with Hamilton revealing a long list of McLaren perks.

Horner wrote: "But I had been in this exact position several years previously, when Lewis, then a teenage development driver with McLaren, had visited the Arden offices.

"It was 2004, we were the dominant team in Formula 3000, and Lewis was eager to join us for the following season.

"But McLaren, having become convinced of his talent, had already made a sizeable investment in Lewis’s future and were keen to hold him in Formula Three, where he would likely win the championship.

"Lewis had other ideas. He was ambitious; Formula 3000 (which would later become GP2 and Formula Two) was his preferred next step, but to get there he would likely have to leave McLaren.

"The financial implications of Lewis leaving and joining a team like ours were potentially messy.

"'Before we go any further, tell me what McLaren have done for you', I said. 'Well, they paid quite a bit towards my karting', said Lewis. 'They paid for my two years in Formula Renault. They also paid my Formula Three budget'.

"I pointed to the window. Lewis’s Mercedes was parked outside. 'That too?' He nodded. 'They paid for a tutor so I could drive without ruining my education. They also pay me a small salary—' I cut in. 'Lewis, I don’t know any kid at your level who has that backing from a Formula One team'."