Ever since Adrian Newey’s departure from Red Bull was announced, there has been a lot of speculation on where he will end up next. For a while, it seemed as though Newey would retire as he spoke about wanting to take a break. However, he did say that he will probably be back working with one of the teams in F1.
A lot of teams have shown interest in signing Newey. After all, he is the best F1 car designer of all time. Success has followed whichever team he has worked for. Among the interested teams is Aston Martin. The Silverstone-based team was previously ruled out for Newey as he was close to a deal with Ferrari. However, conversations have started once again.
Aston Martin’s negotiations with Adrian Newey advance
Just a couple of days ago, it was reported that Adrian Newey got a tour of Aston Martin’s Silverstone factory and its Wind Tunnel. These reports have also indicated that Newey is in serious conversations with Aston Martin on a potential deal. There are several factors that could favour Aston Martin in convincing Newey.
Just last month, Aston Martin announced that Fernando Alonso”s contract extension until the 2026 season. It is no secret that Newey has expressed interest in working with Alonso. So if Newey joins Aston Martin in 2025, he will have the opportunity to do so.
⚠️ | Adrian Newey has made a secret visit to Aston Martin’s Silverstone facility recently.
Aston Martin’s staff were requested to leave the factory for the duration of the visit to try to stop news about Newey’s visit being leaked.#F1 #SpanishGP pic.twitter.com/vnnXGqclrl
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) June 20, 2024
From the 2026 season, Aston Martin‘s power units will be supplied by Honda. The Japanese manufacturer was a power unit supplier for Red Bull from 2020 to 2021. Although they departed from the sport after 2021, they continued to provide Red Bull with parts to build their own engine. Having worked with Honda engines in the past, Newey will have a better understanding of how the design of the cars will affect the performance of the cars with the Honda engine.
There is no doubt that these factors will play a part in convincing Newey to join the team. But until a few days back, it was heavily speculated that Newey was heading to Maranello. So what happened to those rumours?
What happened between Ferrari and Newey?
Just a few days back, Business F1 magazine reported that Adrian Newey had already signed a $105 million contract with Ferrari for 3 years. However, this was not confirmed by either party. But all reports indicated that Ferrari is close to finalizing a deal with Newey. Ferrari executives including Fred Vasseur and John Elkann had several meetings with the British designer, trying to lure him to Maranello. Even Lewis Hamilton publicly stated that he would welcome Newey to Ferrari with open arms. However, there are some roadblocks here.
First and foremost, Newey is not interested in money. He has earned enough money throughout his career and is now 65 years old. He is more interested in work-life balance and work environments. Working for Ferrari comes with a lot of pressure – not just from the team, but also from the Tifosi. Every Ferrari employee and driver has faced this pressure in the past.
Lewis Hamilton would love for Adrian Newey to join him at Ferrari 🤝 pic.twitter.com/DudtyUbTTz
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) May 2, 2024
When you are driving or working for Ferrari, the expectation is to win the Championship. Nothing less. Several drivers and team principals have tried and failed to accomplish this in the past decade and a half. Hence, if Newey were to join the team, he would be heavily praised if he delivers results, but if he does not, he would be heavily criticized. This pressure is something Newey may not need at this stage of his career.
Another negative for Ferrari is that their base is located in Maranello. Newey may not want to shift to a whole country at 65 years old. He would rather stay in England and work for Aston Martin in Silverstone.
It will be interesting to see how all this plays out in the coming weeks. Where do you think Adrian Newwy will end up after this year? Post your thoughts in the comments section below.
Rohit Kumar 
Sara Chavan