With Red Bull facing internal turmoil, speculations about Adrian Newey’s future are running wild. Amid rumors and discussions, reports emerged claiming the 65-year-old was on an exit course. While no confirmation has arrived through official channels, Jenson Button believes Newey’s exit would hurt the atmosphere at Red Bull.
Speaking with Sky F1 recently, the 2009 world champion said, “It obviously hurts Red Bull and it hurts probably the atmosphere in the team a little bit as well knowing that the major guy in the team that develops this wonderful car that they have year on year is not happy and wanting to leave.”
Ever since joining Williams in the early ’90s, Adrian Newey has won championships with every team he has worked with. The Briton moved to Red Bull from McLaren in 2006. Red Bull had only spent a year in the championship by then, since taking over Jaguar Racing. The opportunity of building a legacy with a lower-rung team was an enticing enough prospect.
Since then, Newey has won 13 championships with Red Bull. The team is currently enjoying unprecedented dominance, which started with the advent of the ground effect regulations. With 21 wins out of 22 races in 2023, the Milton Keynes outfit secured a 95% win rate, toppling McLaren’s previous record of 94% set in 1988.
The record goes on to show just how valuable Adrian Newey is to Red Bull. Not only would his absence hurt them, but his joining a rival team could prove to be catastrophic for Red Bull.
Mercedes and McLaren dubbed better options over Ferrari for Adrian Newey
Well aware of his hold over the ground effect concept, Ferrari has been chasing Newey’s signature for a long time now. As reports of his Red Bull exit surfaced, links to the Maranello team emerged once again.
Before that, Newey was reported to have received an offer from Aston Martin. BBC’s Andrew Benson, however, feels the Red Bull CTO must keep his focus on UK-based teams.
Andrew Benson from BBC news:
– Newey has been made offers by Ferrari and Aston Martin. I’m told by sources close to him that he is seriously considering Ferrari but is not interested in going to Aston Martin. #MiamiGP #Ferrari #AstonMartinF1 #F1
— Lucho Yoma (@LucianoYoma) April 30, 2024
Benson wrote, “Not every team could afford him [Newey]. But McLaren and Mercedes certainly could – and going there would be less disruptive domestically to Newey, even if it would not have the same romantic draw as Ferrari.”
Newey famously won the 1997 world championship with McLaren. That, however, was the car he had little influence over. By the time he joined the team, the concept was already set. The unfinished business of taking the team to the top on his own credit could turn out to be tempting.
Mercedes, on the other hand, has shared an epic rivalry with him. Currently, they find themselves in a slump that a man like him can draw them out of.
But will they risk clashing of egos between Newey and the likes of James Allison or Mike Elliot? Toto Wolff will definitely have a tough decision to make if Newey demonstrates an interest in joining his side.
