Ex-F1 Car Designer Argues Adrian Newey Wouldn’t Be Inclined Towards Mercedes or Aston Martin Amidst Red Bull Exit Reports

Former F1 car designer Gary Anderson explains why Ferrari is the only logical choice for Adrian Newey, should the 65-year-old choose to leave Red Bull. Anderson makes his remarks at a time when several reports have claimed that Newey is keen to leave the Milton-Keynes-based outfit.

Aston Martin reportedly offered Newey a huge sum of money, per former F1 insider Peter Windsor. Newey turned the deal down, and while money is an important factor for the Brit, other things come into play when deciding his future team.

Gary Anderson (as quoted by The Race) explains,

“Newey has been a big earner for many years, so I can’t see him moving because someone offers him a big bag of dollars. I also can’t see why, if it’s a change of scene that he wants, he would go to either Mercedes or Aston Martin. Ferrari is F1 – it always has been and it still is. It has always had that commitment to success.” 

Ferrari will also be eager to sign Newey because of the British aerodynamicist’s success in F1 over the years. He is one of the sharpest minds in the sport’s history and has helped Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull win 25 Championships (13 Drivers’ and 12 Constructors’ titles).

Ferrari is a team desperate to fight for the World Championship again. They last won it in 2008, and with Lewis Hamilton and potentially Newey becoming a part of their team, the Tifosi’s long wait could be coming to an end.

Adrian Newey wants a big paycheck from Ferrari

Although Newey has expressed his desire to work for Ferrari in the past, the Italian outfit could find it difficult to land him. According to Mario Salvini of Gazzetta, Ferrari will need to pay more than $100 million to Newey to secure his services.

According to Salvini, Newey will ask for a lucrative contract because of how successful he has been in F1. Moreover, he wants interested teams, including Ferrari, to match the bonuses that his current contract with Red Bull offers.

If money was Newey’s biggest motivation, however, Aston Martin would have been his team of choice. Lawrence Stroll, their owner, is investing heavily in turning Aston Martin into a World Championship-winning outfit. Hiring Newey, one of F1’s best engineers of all time could contribute heavily to that.

Newey hasn’t made a public statement about his reported departure yet. However, going by what he said in the past, turning down a fabled outfit like Ferrari is something he likely won’t do, which is what Gary Anderson suggested.