Adrian Newey, the celebrated Red Bull design leader, took center stage at the Miami Grand Prix, announcing his departure from the F1 team while remaining with the energy drinks company to finalize the RB17 hypercar. This announcement immediately stirred speculation about his future in Formula One.
In an exclusive interview with Martin Brundle, Newey mentioned he felt “a little tired” and fancied the idea of traveling through France with his wife and their dogs. “I just felt that now was a good time to step back and take a bit of a break and take stock of life, and go travelling a bit,” Newey explained, clarifying that there were no immediate plans in place.
Though Newey’s interview indicated he hadn’t signed with another team, Brundle hinted that Ferrari was the front-runner if Newey decided to return. Adding to the swirl of rumors, a Daily Mail article suggested he was “almost certainly Ferrari-bound,” although this was later debunked.
At the Monaco Historique Grand Prix, Newey elaborated on his future, saying, “I’ll have a bit of a holiday. As Forrest Gump said at the end of his long run, I feel a bit tired at the moment. But at some point I’ll probably go again.”
However, during a recent episode of David Coulthard’s “Formula for Success” podcast, Eddie Jordan, who was identified as Newey’s manager, set the record straight. Jordan stated, “We all absolutely adore Jonathan McEvoy, but it’s really very wrong to be so blatant about [Newey] joining a certain team, and in this case, he talks about Ferrari. I’m speaking as someone who should know, and I’m not giving any information away; at no stage is any of this kind of discussion happening [with Ferrari].”
Jenson Button also weighed in, believing Newey would likely prefer staying in the UK, given he had declined offers to move to Italy three times. Button emphasized that a remote Ferrari office in England wouldn’t suit Newey’s hands-on working style.
Williams’ team principal, James Vowles, has already made a light-hearted approach to Newey, mentioning the team’s welcoming culture and lack of internal politics. “I mean, it was a light conversation more than anything else, saying it can’t have been an easy decision, and fundamentally wanting just to have an additional chat about things,” Vowles shared.
Despite Williams’ enthusiasm, Martin Brundle pointed out that only a few teams with significant resources could properly harness Newey’s skills. “You’ve got to have a lot of money and a lot of resources, or there’s no point having Adrian Newey,” Brundle noted.
Red Bull’s Technical Director Pierre Wache has taken over Newey’s responsibilities, expressing confidence despite the looming expectations. “I think everybody knows, Adrian is a big man in this business and maybe the most successful engineer in F1. The team was prepared, and we are ready to build the future around this eventuality,” Wache commented.
Adding more intrigue, Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s advisor, hinted at Newey’s future, saying, “What color do I see for Newey in the future? I think the red clashes a bit with the dark blue. But I think with a great color like green, anything is possible,” possibly alluding to Aston Martin.
As the situation unfolds, all eyes are on Newey’s next step and how Red Bull adapts to this new phase without their iconic engineer.
The Formula One community is abuzz with speculation about where Adrian Newey will go next. While his current plans involve a well-deserved break, the high demand for his expertise ensures this story is far from over. Whether it’s Ferrari, Aston Martin, or another team, Newey’s next move will undoubtedly be a game-changer.
