Ahead of the 2024 Miami Grand Prix, Red Bull Racing dropped what is arguably the biggest news of the season featuring its treasured aerodynamicist Adrian Newey. The British designer has journeyed with the Milton Keynes outfit for nearly two decades and is the primary reason behind orchestrating Max Verstappen’s glory run in Formula 1.
However, the seemingly inseparable squad [Horner, Marko, Newey & Verstappen] has now started to crumble, with Red Bull losing its first of many pieces. Yes, Newey will no longer be a part of Red Bull’s garage in Formula 1. Instead, Newey’s influence is now restricted to the RB17 hypercar project, which will likely last until the early phase of 2025. But, here’s the biggest question – What after that? What are Newey’s options following his departure from the Milton Keynes outfit?
🗣️ | Adrian Newey’s full statement on his step back of design duties in Red Bull Racing
“Ever since I was a young boy, I wanted to be a designer of fast cars. My dream was to be an engineer in Formula One, and I’ve been lucky enough to make that dream a reality. For almost two…
— RBR News 🇳🇱🇲🇽 (@redbulletin) May 1, 2024
An interesting rumor had been circulating since the last couple of weeks, which reckoned that Newey would be obliged to take a ‘gardening leave’ if he decided to part ways with Horner and Co. Meaning, Newey would not be allowed to join any other Formula 1 team until the end of the cooling period, which may last for a year or two or even more. Therefore, many wondered if the much-yearned Ferrari-Newey union is realistically even possible. Well, here’s the answer!
Is Adrian Newey allowed to join Ferrari in 2025?
The answer is yes! Sky Sports has reported that Newey will now shift his entire focus on the hypercar project which is likely to be completed during the first quarter of 2025. The aforementioned period will simultaneously be counted as the gardening leave. Therefore, the 65-year-old will most likely join a rival team the same year and work his magic on the 2026 F1 car.
The Team announces that Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey will leave the Red Bull Technology Group in the first quarter of 2025.
The engineering supremo will step back from Formula 1
design duties to focus on final development and delivery of Red Bull’s first hypercar, the… pic.twitter.com/FSSHqzieip— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) May 1, 2024
As of now, two teams are in the running to strike a deal with the British designer – Ferrari and Aston Martin. Both teams have incredible infrastructure but are in dire need of an individual who can use the resources to build solid Formula 1 cars. And, Newey is arguably the best in this business. Hence, the next few months will be interesting to watch, as Ferrari and Aston Martin fight each other to sign the engineer.
Meanwhile, Mercedes will use this opportunity to lure Verstappen out of Red Bull. With rather fascinating days ahead, which F1 teams will reap rewards from Newey’s decision?
Sara Chavan