F1 teams rumoured to be considering ‘gentleman’s agreement’ that could impact Adrian Newey

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Formula 1 teams are considering a new ‘gentleman’s agreement’ that could impact the recruitment of personnel.

As part of leaving Red Bull, both Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley are obliged to take several months of paid leave before fully joining their new teams.

Newey is expected to be joining Aston Martin with an announcement imminent, while Wheatley is going to be leaving Red Bull to become the team principal at Audi.

Otherwise known as ‘gardening leave’ the period was introduced into contracts as a way to prevent intellectual property from being carried over, with some teams including several months in contracts which prevent them from joining a new team.

The system is designed to prevent personnel from leaving but in the last two years, there have been more changes to technical backroom staff as teams need to juggle their financial obligations under the cost cap while keeping staff members satisfied.

Now according to a report from Motorsport Italy, teams are looking to reduce the amount of gardening leave personnel can take up with a new gentleman’s agreement.

Frederic Vasseur highlights the problem with F1 staff changes

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur recently highlighted the problems with hiring new staff, having needed to fill the role of interim technical director after Enrico Cardile left to join Aston Martin.

Vasseur believes the time should be reduced to allow for greater impact earlier on an F1’s team projects, as most tend to only influence the following year’s car.

READ MORE: Red Bull hampered by ‘aged system’ compared to McLaren when testing RB20 parts

A key example of this is McLaren’s Rob Marshall, who joined the team from Red Bull in January this year after six months of gardening leave.

Many credit Marshall with producing one of the fastest cars on the grid, while also utilising McLaren’s brand-new wind tunnel facilities which came online last year.

F1 teams want shorter gardening leave for personnel

This changeover of staff is becoming more common in F1 due to the cost cap. In the past teams have been able to offer premium salaries, which was always a lucrative option for teams like Sauber and Ferrari who are not based in the UK.

Now they are restricted in the amount they can spend on personnel, which means there are higher movements of staff as teams can find the most cost-effective engineers.

READ MORE: Every key staff member leaving Red Bull as Jonathan Wheatley jumps ship for Audi

The problem, as highlighted by Vasseur, is the time it takes for them to move between teams during their period of gardening leave. According to the report by Motorsport Italy, teams are looking at potentially introducing a gentleman’s agreement that shortens that time and enables new staff to start earlier.

With the new rules providing a clean slate for teams in 2026, it would be quite a lucrative option for teams that are already on the back foot with their preparations.