Ever since Adrian Newey put in his resignation papers at Red Bull, Ferrari has been tipped as his destination of choice. The British designer has always wanted to work with the Italian team. And according to F1 insider and former McLaren pit crew member Marc Priestley, a deal between Newey and Ferrari is done and the official announcement may come out soon.
On YouTube, Priestley posted a video where he stated,
“There were quite a few rumors about Adrian Newey having signed the deal at Ferrari. Absolutely nothing concrete here. Nothing official in this regard. More than one person said to me that the deal was potentially now done”.
This move would be a match made in heaven. And not just because Newey wants to work with Ferrari. The Maranello-based outfit hasn’t won a Championship since 2008, and Ferrari will be desperate for the 65-year-old aero-god to chalk out a championship-winning machinery for them.
Plus, Lewis Hamilton is moving to Ferrari in 2025 and he is an entity Newey has always wanted to partner up with. Priestley also claimed that Hamilton’s camp was influential in ensuring Newey signed with Ferrari.
With this move potentially close to being complete, the 65-year-old will finally get the chance to chalk two huge things from his bucket list, following the end of his 19-year association with Red Bull.
After Adrian Newey’s exit, what’s going on at Red Bull?
Considering Adrian Newey’s genius, it would have been understandable for Red Bull to panic and try and to replace the Briton. However, the Austrian team surprisingly, seems unaffected. They have accepted it and moved on.
While the team has reorganized its technical structure via internal promotions, Newey’s exit is something they couldn’t have anticipated so soon. Red Bull’s technical director Pierre Wache, who learned the ropes under Newey, said,
“It is not that we expected Adrian to stay for another twenty years. We have reorganized the team and have to ensure that we are ready for his departure.”
BREAKING: Red Bull confirms Adrian Newey will leave the team in early 2025#F1 pic.twitter.com/x0IEZfzYNg
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 1, 2024
Wache’s comments hint how the Milton Keynes outfit was ready with a succession plan. However, amid the internal turmoil at the start of this year, the 65-year-old leaving at such a crucial time will be a big jolt for them.
Newey is a huge mine of knowledge besides being the CTO for Red Bull and having set the foundations of their aero philosophy since the beginning. So, without his expertise, Wache and his team may falter and fumble at various steps of car development moving forward from 2025.
