Just when it looked like Ferrari was the favorite to land Adrian Newey, Mercedes has made ripples with an offer. The Silver Arrows are reportedly open to making the aerodynamic genius a part owner of the team. That is a team that is among the highest-valued constructors in F1 with a whopping net worth of $1.4 billion.
As per F1 Insider (as quoted by F1 Maximaal), “Out of nowhere, Mercedes has made an offer that, even includes team shares. The value of the former champion formation is estimated in the sector at 1.3 billion euros.”
F1 Maximaal assesses F1 Insider as a credible source with claims of close ties with Helmut Marko. The Red Bull taskmaster apparently was the source behind the recent news about Max Verstappen being jittery as rivals close in on the gap in the championship.
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Mercedes has made a offer to Adrian Newey. The offer includes shares in the team.
Adrian Newey will decide his future next week.
[@SoyMotor] pic.twitter.com/fPbJl6if3I
— F1_MercHub (@F1MercHub) June 1, 2024
The offer to Newey comes as a surprise, though. That is because of the closed nature of the ownership status at Mercedes. Apart from the automaker, the team has Ineos CEO James Ratcliffe and Toto Wolff as part owners.
However, given the way Mercedes has struggled since the start of the ground effect era, the offer does not seem as ludicrous. The Brackley outfit has registered just one win in two years and eight races so far in 2024.
Meanwhile, Newey’s Red Bull has enjoyed almost unchallenged dominance in this era. The 65-year-old’s creations have broken several records, making him one of the hottest properties in the premier class.
But what about Adrian Newey to Ferrari rumors?
Ever since the news of Newey leaving Red Bull came out, Ferrari has been reported to be at the forefront to land him. The Red Bull CTO has already stopped working on the team’s F1-related operations. He will work solely on their hypercar project until the first quarter of 2025. Once that is out of the way, he is free to join any F1 rivals, including Ferrari.
Claims have emerged over the Maranello side being in advanced talks with Newey. None of those claims have found any backing from the official channels, however. Moreover, team principal Frederic Vasseur downplayed the links recently to ensure the media did not read too much into his interactions with the Briton.
Speculating on Newey’s next destination would anyway not be a smart choice. The 65-year-old has cleared his intention of taking some time off from F1 and will only choose his next team when the time comes.
