Despite designing several championship-winning cars for Red Bull, Adrian Newey reportedly now has very limited responsibilities at Milton Keynes. Per the report from Formula Passion, Christian Horner detailed how the team has limited Newey’s role.
The news comes after the legendary aerodynamicist requested an early release. Initially contracted to stay until the end of 2025, the former Williams employee asked to be let go in early 2025. While the team accepted Newey’s request, they put several restrictions on him.
BREAKING: Adrian Newey will leave Red Bull next spring.
He steps away from day-to-day F1 duties with immediate effect, however he will attend select races and focus on final development and delivery of the RB17. pic.twitter.com/Tuj9js3cf6
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) May 1, 2024
In Miami, Newey had no access to any sort of Red Bull‘s data and isn’t on the design team for any car part. The only meeting he attended during the race weekend was the one where they discussed race strategy.
Furthermore, Horner revealed that Newey will no longer be present at each of the remaining Grands Prix weekends of 2024. The only major responsibility lying on the shoulders of Adrian Newey for the remainder of his time at Red Bull is that of designing the RB17 hypercar.
Hence, the British engineer will only be present in Red Bull’s garage on races where RB17 customers would be present. What happens after that remains a mystery as Newey himself is unsure of what he wants to do.
Adrian Newey unsure whether he will take a new F1 challenge
With Adrian Newey free to join any team on the grid in 2025, several names have emerged as top contenders to land his services. Among them, Ferrari is the strongest contender, with many claiming it to be a dream destination for the Briton.
Should this happen, Newey could massively influence the Italian team’s 2026-spec car under the new regulations. However, Motorsport reports the 65-year-old isn’t in favor of joining a Red Bull rival and might want to take a break instead.
Martin Brundle interviewed Adrian Newey in Miami, inquiring about his future plans and referencing Lewis Hamilton’s desire for Newey to join him at Ferrari.#LewisHamilton #AdrianNewey pic.twitter.com/Hq5h0gl7c1
— This is Formula 1 (@ThisIsFormu1a1) May 4, 2024
Spilling the beans on his plans, Adrian Newey himself revealed he is in favor of spending some time with his family. Having thought about it for a while, the engineer wants to go traveling.
One of his immediate plans is to get a “motorhome or something” and enjoy life while going through France. After taking some time off, Newey revealed that he will take a decision about whether he wants to return to F1 or not.
