Flavio Briatore, who has been brought back by Renault CEO Luca de Meo, has reached out to Red Bull’s departing design genius, Adrian Newey, to lure him to Alpine’s F1 team.
Renault’s F1 team, Alpine, has had a rough start to the 2024 season, scoring just two points so far. Over the past year, the team’s senior staff has seen numerous changes, and Briatore is said to play a crucial role in the ongoing rebuild. Sources claim Briatore has accepted a ‘special supervisor’ role and is actively trying to attract top-tier talent to the team, including Newey. Having designed title-winning cars for Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull, Newey is set to leave Red Bull after the first quarter of 2025.
Briatore reportedly has already engaged in talks with Newey. An Alpine spokesperson confirmed, ‘As a team, we are in frequent contact with a number of industry experts in pursuit of improving overall performance. We consider all relevant inputs and, when appropriate, seek advice from people with experience and previous success. We cannot comment on any individual matters.’
Competition for Newey’s services will be fierce. The 65-year-old has hinted that his journey in F1 is far from over. In an interview with Eddie Jordan for Oyster Yachts, Newey said, ‘If you’d asked me 15 years ago, at the age of 65, would I seriously be considering changing teams, going somewhere else and doing another four or five years, I’d have said you’re absolutely mad.’ Yet, recent conversations with his mentors, Bernie Ecclestone and Roger Penske, have influenced his outlook on retirement. According to Newey, both icons have emphasized the importance of keeping the brain active.
‘Also, I’ve wanted to work in motor racing as a designer since I was eight or 10, and I’ve been lucky enough to fulfill that ambition,’ Newey continued. ‘So at some point, I guess I’ll have a bit of a holiday. As Forrest Gump said at the end of his long run, ‘I feel a little bit tired at the moment,’ but at some point, I’ll probably go again.’
Newey’s credentials are unparalleled, with cars designed by him claiming a total of 25 F1 titles. Max Verstappen and Red Bull aim to increase that tally to 27 by the end of the 2024 season.
With Briatore’s bold move and Newey’s illustrious career in the mix, Alpine could be on the verge of a significant transformation. The F1 world will undoubtedly be watching closely to see if this high-stakes gamble will pay off.
Source: Planetf1
