Why Adrian Newey is ‘absolutely overjoyed’ amid uncertainty over Formula 1 future

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With the Formula 1 season about to resume following the summer break, Adrian Newey has still yet to confirm his future plans. The legendary designer will be leaving Red Bull in the early part of next year.

It’s been nearly four months since Newey handed in his resignation. He won’t have to serve any gardening leave after successfully negotiating his way out of that requirement.

But the 65-year-old has taken time to assess his options. Ferrari looked set to sign Newey but seemingly backed out of the deal.

Various explanations have been put forward. One is that Newey asked Ferrari to double his salary, though Aston Martin’s Lawrence Stroll has offered him £80m over four years.

Another is that Newey demanded a say in personnel decisions and team principal Fred Vasseur refused. Either way, Aston are now the firm favourites.

But they aren’t the only team in the picture. Alpine have made an offer for Newey, and Renault CEO Luca de Meo has promised the ‘moon’ in his efforts to convince him.

Eddie Jordan says Adrian Newey is thrilled with Red Bull hypercar project

F1 pundit David Coulthard asked former team boss Eddie Jordan for an update on Newey’s future in the latest episode of the Formula for Success podcast. As his friend and manager, he’s one of the leading authorities on the topic.

For now, Jordan insists that Newey is focused on ‘enjoying his summer’. He doesn’t see any need to rush and is likely to announce his decision himself when the time comes.

In terms of his work, his main focus recently has been on the RB17 hypercar project. Red Bull unveiled the design at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July, and it’s brought Newey plenty of fulfilment.

“He’s still working with Red Bull in terms of the RB17,” Jordan said. “And he is absolutely overjoyed with that. He thinks it’s great, as indeed he has built other cars before.

“And I dare say that it’s something that will be on his mind to see. And at the moment, he just wants to enjoy summer like what he has seen when he was a university student, and feel free.

“So the reality is that he will be given the time to make his decision. And when there’s something to say, he will say it. And if he doesn’t say it, I’ll say it. But I think it will be him. It’s always going to be his decision and you know that.”

Why Adrian Newey’s former colleague expects him to reject Aston Martin move

Newey admits he was ‘unpopular’ during the RB17 development because he requested a late change to a part that was due for release. But that perfectionist approach has delivered a product that can allegedly rival F1 cars for lap times.

Effectively, he’s no longer involved in his team’s F1 operation. Red Bull have restricted Newey’s access to data and he’ll only attend races when there are valuable marketing opportunities for the hypercar.

Understandably, Christian Horner doesn’t want him taking any sensitive information with him to Aston Martin, his likeliest destination. Aston are already due to link up with Red Bull’s existing engine partners Honda.

But former McLaren colleague Jo Ramirez still believes Newey will join Ferrari. His main reservation is leaving the UK, but he can do much of his consultancy work remotely – a point the Scuderia could make if they come back to the negotiating table.