The race to sign Adrian Newey is on. Red Bull confirmed ahead of last weekend’s Miami Grand Prix that Newey would be leaving the team in early 2025.
Inevitably, as one of the biggest teams in the sport, Mercedes have been mentioned as a possible destination. They desperately need someone who can right the ship.
The Miami GP extended their podium drought at the start of the new season to six races. This is their longest since 2011, when they failed to score a top-three finish all year.
Mercedes already find themselves 175 points behind Red Bull, but they’re also losing plenty of ground in the battle for ‘best of the rest’. Miami winners McLaren have scored nearly double the points (124 vs 64).
Lewis Hamilton was the Silver Arrows’ lead driver in sixth, while teammate George Russell came home eighth. The team’s upgrade package failed to deliver a noticeable improvement.
Toto Wolff has previously refused to rule out a move for Newey. He may see it as a means of signing Max Verstappen given that their futures could be linked.
Jenson Button reckons Mercedes are in a position to win the race for the departing chief technical officer. That’s because, in his eyes, Newey will want to stay in the UK.
However, the legendary engineer apparently harbours private concerns. He’s worried it will take too long to correct Mercedes’ slide, and isn’t overly keen on the idea of working with Wolff.
Toto Wolff tight-lipped on Adrian Newey talks
Wolff was spotted in discussions with Newey in the Miami paddock after Sunday’s race. The 65-year-old made the trip to the race after handing in his letter of resignation.
Predictably, the Mercedes boss refused to disclose details of the conversation. When Sky Germany asked if he could reveal what they were talking about, he simply said: “No. He’s a great guy.”
Wolff is reportedly worried that signing Newey could cause unrest behind the scenes. Indeed, some Red Bull figures were ‘quite pleased’ to see him leave because they didn’t like his working methods.
But the more Mercedes struggle, the more Wolff may feel compelled to put those reservations to one side. Newey has won championships at Williams, McLaren and Red Bull across three different decades.
Is Adrian Newey going to Ferrari?
If Mercedes are to sign Newey, they won’t just have to convince him of the merits of their project. They’ll also have to persuade him to reject Ferrari.
Team principal Fred Vasseur has been similarly cautious about discussing Newey. When journalist Laura Winter asked him about a reported meeting in London, he apparently ‘ran away’.
The Englishman is said to be giving ‘serious’ consideration to a move to Maranello. They have offered him exactly the kind of ‘super consultant’ role he wants.
Insiders at Aston Martin have already said that they expect him to join the Italian marquee. He would, of course, have the opportunity to link up with F1’s most successful driver in Hamilton.
Wolff has seen first-hand what Hamilton can do. He will surely be wary of what the 39-year-old could achieve in Newey’s machinery.
Indeed, Ferrari may have the edge on both Red Bull and Mercedes heading into the 2026 regulation changes if they have Newey and Hamilton on board. That’s partly why one journalist has warned Wolff that he’d be making his ‘biggest mistake’ if he didn’t go all-out for the designer.
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