Mercedes has reportedly made a sensational bid to steer Adrian Newey away from bitter rivals Red Bull before the designer makes a long-term commitment to his current team.
Newey joined Red Bull in 2006 after building a reputation as one of Formula 1’s most sensible car designers. He played a key role in helping Christian Horner turn the team into the dominant force in the game it is today.
The 64-year-old’s contract expires at the end of this season, prompting interest from Ferrari. But ahead of the Miami Grand Prix weekend it was shown that Newey had written an extension with his existing team.
But it turns out Ferrari wasn’t the only one trying to wrest Newey from Red Bull. According to F1 Insider, Mercedes has tried to distance him from his biggest F1 rivals and them in the face of their declining fortunes.
The Silver Arrows have won eight brand titles in a row, but have been slow to adapt to the new motorsport regulations that came into force in 2022. Since then, they have stayed away from the performances of reigning champions Red Bull.
The report claims Mercedes sought to bring in Newey to solve its automotive functionality issues. But he reportedly thanked them for their offer and declined, before re-signing with Red Bull.
Speaking to F1 Insider, team advisor Helmut Marko teased Mercedes boss Toto Wolff about the attempt. Austrian.
Red Bull team principal Horner recently said of Newey: “Adrian has been such a basic detail from almost the beginning. It covers a lot of spaces and, to have the intensity of his enjoyment and wisdom to draw on, and the way he works with young people, it’s great.
“He’s as motivated as he’s ever been. Obviously, he is very interested in what’s going on in powertrains as well as Red Bull Advanced Technology. So, it covers the 3 pillars of the Milton Keynes campus. “
“I think Pierre on the chassis side is doing a wonderful job. We have Ben Hodgkinson in the powertrains doing a task and Rob Gray in the complex aspect of the generation. “
“It’s about people, and it allows him [Newey] to apply his expertise. You don’t have to be there every day on a specific topic. We can use the breadth of their delight throughout the group. “
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