Adrian Newey is reportedly ready to leave Red Bull. It’s a move that could rock the Formula 1 world given his importance to their success.
Newey wants to be free of his responsibilities at Milton Keynes before 2024 is out. His contract, however, runs until the end of next year, which could be a complicating factor.
Last year, the Briton was instrumental in the development of the RB19, the most dominant car in F1 history. At the hands of Max Verstappen (19) and Sergio Perez (two), it won 21 of the year’s 22 races.
All in all, Red Bull have won the last three drivers’ championships and the last two constructors’ titles. This year’s RB20 looks like a worthy successor to last year’s historic machinery.
Either side of a brake-related retirement at the Australian Grand Prix, Verstappen has four of the first five races. And in each of those he’s crossed the line a long way ahead of his competitors.
It’s unclear to what extent Newey’s exit would destabilise Red Bull in the short, medium and long-term future. They would still enter the 2025 season as heavy favourites without him, but his loss could really be felt upon the regulation changes of 2026.
The 65-year-old boasts a truly legendary track record. Having previously won with Williams and McLaren, he’s amassed 12 constructors’ titles across a span of four decades.
Karun Chandhok wants Max Verstappen to follow Adrian Newey out of Red Bull
Writing on X (formerly Twitter), Sky Sports F1 pundit Karun Chandhok mapped out a ‘dream’ scenario following Newey’s exit. He wants to see him link up with Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin.
And he’s also raised the possibility that reigning world champion Verstappen makes a sensational move to Mercedes. There is, of course, a vacancy at Brackley following Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari move.
In the eyes of Chandhok, this could be exactly the ‘shake up’ F1 needs to produce a more competitive battle at the front. Lando Norris is among those to have called Verstappen’s current dominance ‘boring’.
Will Adrian Newey join Aston Martin?
Aston Martin have taken a step forward in the past couple of years and are now firmly part of the ‘best of the rest’ battle behind Red Bull. But billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll clearly isn’t satisfied.
Stroll wants to build a team that can contend for race wins and championships, and is assembling the pieces. Perhaps the most important is Alonso, who recently signed a multi-year extension despite holding talks with Mercedes.
Another vital component is Aston’s exclusive engine deal with Honda from 2026 onwards. They will no longer simply be a customer to Mercedes.
But recruiting Newey from Red Bull would perhaps be their biggest statement yet. A recent report suggested that Stroll had ‘upped the ante’ in his pursuit of the Englishman.
The Silverstone outfit already held a serious interest even before Newey’s intentions became public. Now they may sense an opportunity to pounce.
For the designer himself, the opportunity to work with Alonso may be the biggest draw. He’s won titles with Alain Prost, Sebastian Vettel and Verstappen, and the Spaniard is another of F1’s all-time greats.
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