Sky Sports F1’s David Croft believes Adrian Newey’s surprise departure from Red Bull is “seismic” for the sport.
Ahead of this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, Red Bull has shown that Newey, the greatest designer in F1 history, will leave the team at the start of 2025.
Sky Sports News understands that Newey has been approached by Ferrari and that the 65-year-old will not have to take any gardening leave when he leaves next year, allowing him to sign up for another Formula 1 team to help design his car. of 2026.
Newey built 14 championship-winning cars during his tenure at Williams and McLaren in the 1990s and then at Red Bull in the last 15 years.
“It’s huge, seismic for a lot of reasons. Not only is Adrian Newey on the market for 2026 and the big regulation change, but he will also be leaving Red Bull and his F1 assignment with immediate effect, so it’s a double whammy for all the teams. “Croft told Sky Sports News.
“Some might have the resources and persuasive power to test and woo the greatest car designer F1 has ever known, but even others don’t know he’s not part of the Red Bull team.
“The paints that Adrian Newey has done to make Red Bull such a dominant force, in fact in the last few years and his time there, will now stop.
“The immediate reaction from all the other groups will be ‘OK, he’s gone. He left Red Bull and that can give us a chance to catch up. ‘”
Newey joined Red Bull in 2006, ahead of the team’s second F1 campaign, and helped build it into the top team starting in 2009, when they took their first win.
The team won 4 consecutive drivers’ and constructors’ titles from 2010 to 2013 and has dominated again in years since Max Verstappen controversially won the 2021 drivers’ championship.
Ferrari have been Red Bull’s closest rival in years and they are the favourites to recruit Newey, who would join Lewis Hamilton if he decides to move to Maranello.
Croft continued: “There will be a few who will try to get Newey to approach them: Ferrari, who have made offers to sign Newey in the past but have refused, and Aston Martin, who we believe have made a very ambitious bet. He was offering and a huge sum of cash to induce Adrian to come to his factory at Silverstone and connect with his group’s CEO, Martin Whitmarsh, with whom Newey worked in the McLaren days.
“It’s a huge, huge story. Even if Red Bull tries to downplay it and Newey is just one person, it doesn’t make the ultimate difference, in Newey’s case it is. “
“His track record, the championships he has won and the cars he has designed over the years that have won more than two hundred Grands Prix, show the strength he has.
“I think we’re all a bit romantic at heart, but this may be the most romantic story Lewis Hamilton has ever had in his career, if Adrian Newey needs to sign the seven-time world champion at Ferrari.
“What a force that would be. Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Newey at Maranello will try to bring back Ferrari’s glory days and try to help Hamilton win an eighth world title and Leclerc a first.
Questions about Max Verstappen’s long career will also be a major topic in Miami this weekend, as the reigning world champion has not been fully resolved at Red Bull since allegations surfaced against Christian Horner for inappropriate behaviour in February. Horner denies this and has been cleared of the allegations.
The saga came to a head at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in March when, amid reports that Red Bull motorsport advisor Marko was about to leave, Verstappen advised that he would simply leave the Austrian out of the team.
The situation has calmed down recently, but Mercedes’ Toto Wolff has made it clear that he would “love” to sign Verstappen, who has a contract until 2028.
While Red Bull is building its own engine for the first time for the 2026 season, Newey’s absence also adds a big question mark over whether they can create a car that challenges the name, which worries Verstappen primarily.
“Where does this announcement leave Max Verstappen and his long career at Red Bull?”
“There has been a lot of talk that Verstappen will bid farewell to the Milton Keynes-based team. Is Verstappen inspired with the engine program for 2026? Rumours say that Red Bull is not as complex as the other teams. “
“There is a statement that his representatives have met with Toto Wolff and are contemplating moving to Mercedes from next season, the weekend in Miami. Max is under contract until 2028, but Newey is under contract until the end of 2025. It’s a great story for F1 and a lot. A series of questions will be asked. “
Thursday 4:30 p. m. : Drivers’ press conference
Friday, May 33: F1 Academy Practice 3:00 p. m. : First practice of the Miami GP (session at 5:30 p. m. ) 8:20 p. m. : F1 Academy Practice 3:00 p. m. : Miami GP Sprint Qualifying (session at 9:30 p. m. )
Saturday May 4:25 p. m. : F1 Academy Qualifying 4 p. m. : Miami Sprint GP (race starts at 5 p. m. ) 6:30 p. m. : Ted’s Sprint Notebook 7:05 p. m. : F1 Academy Race 6 p. m. : Miami GP Qualifying Prep*9 p. m. : Miami GP Qualifying*11 p. m. : Ted’s Qualifying Notebook*
Sunday in May 17:05: F1 Academy Race 17:30: Grand Prix Miami GP Warm-Up Sunday*21:00: The MIAMI GRAND PRIX* 23:00: Miami GP Checkered Flag*Midnight: Ted’s Notebook*
*also at the Sky Sports Main Event
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