Adrian Newey deciding to leave Red Bull and join its rivals isn’t good news for the Milton-Keynes-based outfit. Before leaving, Newey is expected to serve a mandatory gardening leave period, as most F1 engineers do before switching to another team. However, this could come back to bite Red Bull as it gives Newey time to plan how to topple them.
Matt Elisofon and Brian Muller spoke about the 65-year-old’s reported decision to leave Red Bull on an episode of the Red Flags podcast. It surprised them, but they discussed Red Bull’s potential plan of action, considering they are on the verge of losing one of their most valuable assets.
Elisofon and Muller spoke about the gardening leave that Newey will probably serve, and why it is dangerous for Red Bull to make him do that. Muller said,
“It’s gonna be like Christmas to him. He’s going to sit in his garden, he’s going to sit in his mansion in f*cking you know North England, and he’s just gonna think for a year dude, he’s gonna think for a year.”
Muller feels that Newey will come up with a “genius” plan to make his next team (Ferrari as per most reports) stronger than Red Bull, who are currently the most dominant in F1.
On the other hand, this gardening leave also means that Newey will have to stay away from the paddock in 2025. It puts his future employers at a disadvantage as they wouldn’t be able to take any input from him for an entire year.
Adrian Newey’s disadvantage at leaving Red Bull
From 2026 onwards, new regulations will come into effect for which preparations have already started. They will ramp up further in 2025, which is when he is needed the most.
Because of this, Newey’s future team would want him to be in the garage by 2025, helping them gear up for what is to come. However, that won’t be possible because of the gardening leave rules, that Red Bull will likely impose.
Newey’s input, while still valuable and important, will be delayed. Teams want to get a headstart on others in 2026 but Newey’s work will only help them develop a stronger car for the 2027 season.
Meanwhile, Red Bull will need to take a look at the gardening leave rules and decide the Briton’s fate for 2025. Allowing Newey a free pass poses the threat of him carrying immediate secrets over to their rivals. On the other hand, putting him on the sidelines could give him ample time to come up with a master plan that could affect Red Bull.
