Adrian Newey will leave Red Bull after two decades and seven driver’s and six constructor’s championships, so far. Even before the official announcement of his departure [happening in Q1 of 2025], the Brit was linked with a move to Ferrari. This way he would fulfill his wish of working with the prestigious Italian outfit. However, to keep the rivalry alive, Red Bull advisor, Helmut Marko has pictured Newey in green overalls instead of red.
“What color do I see Newey in the future? I think the red clashes a little with the dark blue. But I think anything is possible with a great color like green,” he said as quoted by Marca. This subtle nod is in the direction of Aston Martin, a team with an incredible infrastructure and a lot of ambition.
Transitioning to the Silverstone-based team would certainly be easier compared to Maranello. Newey has even once surrendered the opportunity to work with Michael Schumacher at Ferrari because of the difficult adjustment. So, despite reports of his wife, Amanda Newey looking for homes in Italy, the Red Bull honcho believes Aston Martin might win his signature.
The state-of-the-art infrastructure, the desire to win the championship, with money no bar, and a familiar engine supplier in Honda [from 2026] might all work in Aston Martin’s favor.
Additionally, if Newey does join the British team and wins a championship, he will cement his status as the engineer with a Midas touch in F1. However, currently, all signs and statements point toward a break.
Adrian Newey cites his reasons for taking a sabbatical from Formula 1
Adrian Newey made his stance clear about leaving Red Bull. However, what does he want to do next? Many expect yet another sensational swoop from Ferrari. However, both he and his manager are pouring cold water on these burning desires to get his signature.
Citing his reasons, Newey confessed it’s the grueling nature of the sport that is making him consider a break instead of taking on a new challenge. Speaking to Sky Sports, as quoted by ESPN, the 65-year-old highlighted his desire for a recess since the intense 2021 bout.
He confessed, “F1 is all-consuming, I’ve been at it for a long time now. 2021 was a really busy year with all the title battle with Mercedes. I just felt that now was a good time to take step back, take a bit of a break, take stock of life, go traveling a bit.”
The agenda is clear, take a step back, look at the bigger picture, and then make a decision. No one can coax a decision from the celebrated engineer because he’s in a comfortable position in his career. So, even though he’s leaving, which will surely have a massive impact on Red Bull, perhaps as early as 2025, it’s not clear when he’ll be back, if ever.
