Adrian Newey has just received a last-ditch offer including shares in a top Formula 1 team to reject a move to Ferrari when the design guru leaves Red Bull in early 2025.
The news broke ahead of the Miami Grand Prix that Newey will depart in the first quarter of next year. He has been in Milton Keynes since February 2006 but believes it is time to begin the next part of an illustrious career. Almost every F1 team also wants the greatest designer.
Newey stands head and shoulders above any designer the pinnacle of motorsport has seen. He won five teams’ titles and four drivers’ titles for Williams, a teams’ title plus two drivers’ crowns with McLaren and has helped Red Bull win six teams’ titles and seven drivers’ titles.
Mercedes make Adrian Newey a last-ditch offer but the Red Bull chief has reservations
Now, another Formula 1 team hopes to sign Newey and is going to significant lengths to see the Red Bull icon reject Ferrari. That is according to F1-Insider, which reports that Mercedes have just made Newey a true offer ‘out of the blue’ that includes shares in the Silver Arrows.
Ferrari were counting on Newey moving to Maranello to help oversee the design of their car for F1’s 2026 chassis regulation changes. The Scuderia also made the 65-year-old a rich offer but he continues to hesitate. Newey is yet to feel ok with spending a lot of time in Italy.
READ MORE: Everything we know so far about F1’s 2026 engine and chassis regulations
Mercedes hope that Newey’s hesitation has left the door open for Toto Wolff to lure the Red Bull guru to his €1.3bn (£1.1bn) valued team. Wolff is desperate to see the Silver Arrows get back to on top in F1, having last won a race with George Russell at the Sao Paulo GP in 2022.
Newey, however, has reservations about working with Wolff as he feels the Mercedes team principal is too powerful. As well with overseeing the Silver Arrows’ F1 team, he has shares in the outfit and is the CEO. Newey wants to avoid any further political issues, like at Red Bull.
Only Haas and Audi have not made Adrian Newey an offer
Discussions are scheduled between Newey and his close friend plus manager, Eddie Jordan, for next week, though. They will sit down and explore all of the options available with every Formula 1 team – except Haas and Audi (via Sauber) – making Newey offers to join in 2025.
Newey will also take the view of his wife, Amanda, into account before deciding between a move to Ferrari, Mercedes or another Formula 1 team. What is certain, though, is that the outfit that wins the tug-of-war over the Englishman’s services will want to do well in 2026.
That said, Newey only leaving Red Bull in the first quarter of 2025 could restrict what say he has in a team’s 2026 car. Teams will already have their early designs in place by the time the Stratford-upon-Avon arrives in Brackley, Maranello or wherever, so his input may be limited.
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