Adrian Newey is one of F1’s most decorated engineers and has helped Red Bull achieve unfathomable success since joining the team in 2006. Now that rumors of his departure from the Milton-Keynes-based outfit emerge, ex-Williams driver Riccardo Patrese calls for Ferrari to do whatever it takes to land him.
Patrese worked with Newey at Williams in the 1990s and wants the top brass in Maranello to go all in for the master aerodynamicist. In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, he said,
“Without a doubt, they have to do everything possible to hire him. He is the king of engineers. If Adrian comes, we will win.”
BREAKING NEWS: Adrian Newey has decided he wants to leave Red Bull pic.twitter.com/0jsRqlMfoc
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) April 25, 2024
Patrese is a Ferrari fan and like the rest of the Tifosi, is longing for a Championship win again. Per reports, Ferrari remains the favorite to sign Newey in case he ends up leaving Red Bull. Peter Windsor, Newey’s former colleague revealed that he rejected a mega offer from Lawrence Stroll’s team Aston Martin.
Newey never hid the fact that joining Ferrari is a dream. Now with him wanting to leave Red Bull and Aston Martin out of the way (per Windsor), Ferrari does not have any obstacle in their way to signing Newey.
How Adrian Newey’s addition to Ferrari looks
Newey, before joining Red Bull, worked for Williams and McLaren. In his time in F1 with the three aforementioned teams, Newey contributed to 25 World Championship wins (Drivers’ and Constructors’ combined).
His expertise in aerodynamics can boost Ferrari’s performance in the years to come. Lewis Hamilton’s addition to the outfit from 2025 onwards also increases the outfit’s chances of succeeding on the track. On paper, not a lot of things go against Newey ahead of his potential move to Ferrari.
⚠️ | Craig Slater reports that if Adrian Newey does decide to go to another team after Red Bull it would potentially be Ferrari according to Aston Martin insiders.
Ferrari have been trying to get a hold of Newey’s services for over 20 years.#F1pic.twitter.com/S4bPQjKveP
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) April 26, 2024
However, there is a catch. Should Newey exit Red Bull after the 2024 season, he will have to sit out the 2025 campaign as part of the mandatory gardening leave. While it could hand the Briton some time to think about how to topple Red Bull with his new employers, the latter would prefer to have him in the paddock to develop the 2026 car.
If Red Bull does end up forcing Newey to serve the gardening leave, the 65-year-old’s work could be on display on the track as late as the 2027 season.
