At the start of the 2024 Formula 1 season, everyone thought that the driver’s market would create the most drama off the track with so many racers out of contract at the end of the year.
All of a sudden, a surprise resignation from Adrian Newey has created a fascinating subplot that could give one of Red Bull’s rivals a big upper hand heading into the new set of regulations in 2026.
Speaking on The Race Podcast, journalist Mark Hughes shared some details from a conversation he had with the prolific designer at the Miami Grand Prix.
There are plenty of teams that would love to bring Newey in next year when his Red Bull contract comes to an end.
Ferrari would love to bring him in with Lewis Hamilton also arriving next season, they would arguably be in their best position in decades to challenge for a title.
Aston Martin have also made a huge offer for Newey, but when it comes to his future, he’s still in the process of thinking about his next step.
He has no need to rush into making a call given his services will still be very much desired by the majority of the grid even if he takes some time out.
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Adrian Newey still thinking about his future after Red Bull exit
The narrative surrounding Newey’s future took a well-time turn in Miami as his dominant Red Bull car was beaten on the track by Lando Norris.
Max Verstappen lost the race in Australia due to a technical issue, but in Formula 1’s first trip to the United States this season, the Dutch driver watched his good friend drive away from him after the safety car.
For the first time in nearly three years, suddenly Red Bull look under threat and the man that the team would normally rely on to try and figure out what was going wrong was about to leave and has taken a step back from Formula 1 duties.
Periods of supremacy in F1 never last forever and the Miami Grand Prix might be the first real sign that Red Bull’s rivals are catching up.
Newey may be thinking about his future and while he loves winning, he also loves a challenge.
He’ll be closely observing the teams who are most interested in his services and wondering which is the next best step to take in his career.
Adrian Newey assessing his options ahead of Red Bull exit
Sharing what Newey said to him in Miami, Hughes said: “I did have a chat with Adrian [Newey] in Miami, he’s not somebody that will give you… he’s someone that might not always be able to tell you everything but he won’t feed you a misleading steer.
“And I genuinely believe that he’s not decided what he wants to do yet and he’s decided he won’t decide for quite some time yet.
“So, I think we know how hard Frederic Vasseur is pushing to get him at Ferrari, very hard indeed.
“I think the stories of them meeting up are true and I’m sure he’s entertained offers from elsewhere and I’m sure he’s quite open-minded when he listens to those but as for his immediate plans, no, I don’t believe he has anything in place.
“I don’t believe he wants anything in place right now, I do believe he wants to have a nice break which may last a few months, may last a year, who knows.
“But, he’s got himself contractually free of Red Bull from about a year from now and he hasn’t done that for no reason, so I imagine he would be thinking, ‘Yes, I’ll probably do something more, but I’m not quite sure what it is yet’.
“I don’t think we’ll know for quite some time yet.”
F1 team principals are having their say on Adrian Newey
While Newey is thinking about his future and whether that remains in the Formula 1 paddock or not, team bosses up and down the grid are talking about the multiple championship winner.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown has shared what he thinks Newey is ‘definitely’ going to do next.
Toto Wolff gave a succinct answer when asked about talks with the designer and given their struggles with understanding their current car, someone with Newey’s experience would be invaluable.
Even the drivers are talking about Newey and Lance Stroll provided a short answer when asked about Aston Martin’s interest in his future.
Whoever does secure Newey’s signature will already be thinking about what level of success he can help deliver in the future.
The post ‘Did have a chat’: Journalist shares what Adrian Newey is ‘genuinely’ thinking about his future after Red Bull appeared first on F1 Oversteer.