Adrian Newey has made it clear that he currently has “no plan” to remain in Formula 1, admitting to needing “a bit of a break”.
Earlier this week, Red Bull confirmed that Newey would be leaving the Milton Keynes-based outfit early next year.
During his 19-year tenure with the team, the legendary designer contributed significantly to a track record that includes 117 wins and six F1 Constructors’ Championships.
While Newey will continue his involvement with the RB17 hypercar project until mid-2025, he will be stepping away from his direct role in F1 car development.
This opens the possibility for him to join another team from March of next year, potentially aligning with the significant regulation changes coming into effect for the 2026 season.
However, despite strong interest from Ferrari and a significant offer from Aston Martin, Newey has emphasized that he currently has no concrete plans to join a rival team, feeling that the time has come for a well-deserved break from the intense demands of Formula 1.
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“Formula 1 is all-consuming and I’ve been at it for a long time now,” the 65-year-old engineer Sky Sports F1.
“2021 was a really busy year because of the tight battle with Mercedes through the championship, and at the same time putting all the research and development into the RB18 which is the father of this generation of cars.
“I don’t know, there comes a point where I just felt, as Forrest Gump said, ‘I’m feeling a little bit tired’.”
Newey admitted that he had been thinking about a retreat from the sport for “a little while now, if I’m honest”.
“I guess over the winter a little bit and then as events have unfolded this year, I thought… I am in the very lucky position where I don’t need to work to live.
“I work because I enjoy it and it felt now is a good time to step back, take a little bit of a break and take stock of life.
“Mandy, my wife, and the dogs, we’ll probably go travelling. Get a motorhome or something and go down through France and just enjoy life.
“Then maybe at some point, I don’t know when, I’ll be standing in the shower and saying right, this is going to be the next adventure. Right now there is no plan.”
Newey’s “as events have unfolded this year” comment alludes to the political disruption that has rocked Red Bull Racing in recent months.
A situation that emerged following allegations of improper conduct directed at Red Bull team principal Christian Horner and a subsequent inner-team power struggle between the Briton and Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko.
While Horner claimed on Friday in Miami that Newey’s decision to depart Red Bull was “absolutely not” linked to the recent tensions inside the team, the designer’s comment clearly hints at their impact.
In anticipation of his 2025 move to Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton expressed on Thursday his desire to work with Adrian Newey, placing him at the very top of his wish list.
“Honestly, it is very kind of Lewis to say that and I am very flattered,” reacted Newey. “But at the moment it is just time to take a little bit of a break and see what happens next.”
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