The recent rumours of the paddock have come true it seems, with the emerging news that Adrian Newey, Red Bull’s Chief Technology Officer, is set to leave Red Bull at the start of 2025. Newey has been working under the Red Bull name since 2006, meaning that he has seen his fair share of success with the team. However, it appears that Newey is no longer interested in working with Red Bull, perhaps due to the recent allegations that saw Christian Horner under fire for supposed inappropriate behaviour. Nevertheless, this begs the question of what is next for the highly esteemed engineer, or whether he is walking away from the race track for good.
Adrian Newey set to leave Red Bull after over 20 years of service (photo: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-01/adrian-newey-leaving-red-bull-f1/103774672)
The Career of Adrian Newey:
Adrian Newey’s career has spanned over several decades, which has seen him take on numerous roles within the motorsport industry, both within Formula One and within IndyCar. Newey has held the titles of aerodynamicist, designer, race engineer and technical director, all of which have granted him great success in his field. His most notable role, of course, would be his involvement in Red Bull Racing, which will be coming to an end in 2025.
Newey’s first few races at Red Bull was fairly disastrous, with him unable to make much of a difference to the performance of the car; finishing with only 2 points in 6 races. However, things eventually began to pick up, with Red Bull eventually managing to secure third place at the Monaco Grand Prix, an evidently impressive improvement. Overall, Red Bull finished in an average 7th position, albeit a respectable place to be after a weak beginning.
Following on from this, Red Bull achieved 5th in the Constructors’ Championship in 2007, and won their first Constructors in 2010 with the driving duo made up of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. Now, Red Bull Racing hold 6 of these titles to their name, with the potential of the 2024 season going their way thanks to the talent of Max Verstappen. However, with the season still in its early stages, it is certainly too early to say whether Red Bull will race ahead or whether another team will give them a run for their money.
It is uncertain as to what is next for Newey and his career (photo: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/01/sport/adrian-newey-to-leave-red-bull-2025-f1-spt-intl/index.html)
So, what’s next for Adrian Newey?
Given his vast experience and talent in the motorsports industry, I don’t think that it’s surprising to suggest that Newey will hang around in the industry one way or another. Whilst him stepping away from Red Bull may suggest that he is looking for a new challenge, it could be the case that Newey is looking to use his experience in a different Formula 1 team. Whilst nothing has been confirmed, there have of course been rumours flying around the paddock as to what Newey’s fate will be, or whether he may decide to walk away from the industry entirely. It has been said that he is choosing to walk away to focus on other projects, such as the RB17 Hypercar.
Despite this, there is the question as to whether he has been approached by other Formula One teams. Teams that have been rumoured to have approached Newey are Aston Martin, Ferrari and even Williams. However, I would suggest that there is in fact a real possibility that Newey has been approached by the Scuderia Ferrari team, what with the change of driver lineup next season which sees Sainz depart and Hamilton taking his place. This shake-up could indicate that the team is willing to make some big changes, and perhaps they see Adrian Newey as part of the new team that would be looking to challenge for the Constructors in 2025. Whilst Ferrari is a strong team in itself, bringing in Adrian Newey could allow them to gain those all-important race wins next season that they will be looking to achieve with the talented driver lineup of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. It will certainly be interesting to see whether Ferrari, or any of the other teams, decide to capitalise on Newey’s departure.
However, given the fact that Newey is currently 65 years old and has spent over two decades working under Red Bull, perhaps he is simply looking for a break and a chance to slow down. Given the fast pace and high-pressure of the world of Formula One, it could be the case that Adrian Newey has had enough of the motorsport industry, and wishes to work in a way that means he is able to have a well-earned rest. Nevertheless, whatever he wishes to do, it would be expected that Newey has been considering his options for a while, and when it comes to it, will make a decision that results in him being in a position that he is content with.
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