Adrian Newey’s next step when he leaves Red Bull Racing during the first quarter of 2025 is going to be fascinating and potentially have huge implications for the Formula 1 grid.
The 65-year-old has played a key role in Red Bull rising to the top of F1 and delivering the most dominant season in the sport’s history last year.
Plenty of team principals will be desperate to hire him once his contract expires and speaking on the Nailing The Apex Podcast, journalist Tim Hauraney has shared what one boss told him during the Miami Grand Prix weekend.
For some teams, such as Ferrari and McLaren, if Adrian Newey arrived then he would be trying to perfect an already very quick car.
Meanwhile, there are manufacturers further down the grid whose cars would need a lot more attention.
Hauraney has now shared a conversation he had with Williams team principal James Vowles about the prospect of hiring Newey.
While it would be a very sentimental signing and could provide the British team with huge benefits, it looks unlikely that a deal with happen.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Williams Racing from team principal to Mercedes relationship
Williams team principal James Vowles would love to hire Adrian Newey
Newey has been part of the Formula 1 paddock for decades and has personal connections with several teams.
He spent eight years with McLaren before joining Red Bull, helping Mika Hakkinen win two titles.
Newey worked with several smaller budget teams such as Fittipaldi, Leyton House and March.
However, before he played a key role in the ascension of Red Bull, he helped Williams deliver five of their nine Constructors’ Championships.
The likes of Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve all benefitted from his genius.
James Vowles would love to bring Newey back to Williams but that doesn’t look likely at this stage.
They face a lot of competition for his signature given he’s someone anybody in the paddock would have in their F1 dream team.
Williams’s infrastructure could play a role in Adrian Newey’s decision
Sharing what the Williams team boss told him about Newey, Hauraney said: “I spoke with James [Vowles] about this in Miami. Well, it is something that he would love to have Adrian [Newey] work for the team.
“It’s whether or not he could give him everything he wanted.
“The money, control, do they have the infrastructure that he’s used to working with, I don’t think so.
“How long is it going to take for that infrastructure to come up to code? It’s going to take some years.”
Who could sign Adrian Newey when he leaves Red Bull?
If James Vowles can’t convince Newey to make an emotional return to Williams then he will still have plenty of options available to him.
Mercedes have reignited their interest in Newey which makes a lot of sense considering their struggles over recent years.
Audi will join the Formula 1 grid in 2026 and they may feel they can convince Newey to take on a new project.
However, the most likely destination for Newey looks set to be Ferrari who are building a formidable team both on and off the track.
Lewis Hamilton arrives to drive alongside Charles Leclerc in 2025 and by then Jerome d’Ambrosio and Loic Serra would have made the switch to Maranello as well.
Only time will tell where Newey ends up and he appears to be in no rush to make his final decision.
The post ‘Don’t think so’: Journalist can’t see Adrian Newey joining 9-time F1 champions after speaking to team boss appeared first on F1 Oversteer.