F1 insiders have revealed where they 'think' Adrian Newey will go if he leaves Red Bull, with Ferrari, Mercedes, and Aston Martin all keen on acquiring the chief designer.
On Thursday afternoon, it was reported that Red Bull’s chief designer Newey wants to leave the team in the near future.
Newey is widely regarded as the greatest designer of all time and is largely responsible for building the most dominant car in Formula 1 history.
Responding to the rather concerning reports, the Formula 1 champions have now broken their silence.
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The statement read: “Adrian is contracted until at least the end of 2025 and we are unaware of him joining any other team.”
Despite Red Bull attempting to shut down the rumours, speculation has only grown in the hours following the statement with Sky Sports confirming the story of Newey's desired departure.
Newey would be arguably as important to an F1 team as having both Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen as drivers, so the 65-year-old Brit will not be short of options.
However, it appears Ferrari, Aston Martin, and Mercedes are those with the most concrete interest, with Sky Sports' Craig Slater providing an update on the situation.
"There's been speculation that Ferrari are trying to sign him, and also Aston Martin were hoping to perhaps entice him to go and work there," He explained.
Aston Martin are a considerably smaller team compared to Ferrari, but CEO Lawrence Stroll has been hellbent on bringing Aston Martin to the front of the grid and he is prepared to empty his multi-billion dollar wallet to do so.
With both teams desperate to get their man, Slater revealed who currently looks to have the upper hand.
"That [Aston Martin] would certainly be an easier move for Newey logistically speaking as they are based at Silverstone.
"Ferrari (based in Italy) have been trying for over 20 years, to sign Adrian Newey and have been unsuccessful in that, however, some insiders at Aston Martin have been explaining to me that they think if he is to go somewhere else, it would be Ferrari potentially," He revealed.
Newey has previously commented on potentially working with the Scuderia as well as Lewis Hamilton, who will be joining Ferrari next season.
When speaking on an episode of the Beyond The Grid podcast, Newey spoke about Hamilton when asked if he wished he had worked with Ferrari during his career.
As per The Express, he replied: “Emotionally, I guess, to a point, yes.
“But just as, for instance, working with Fernando [Alonso] and Lewis would have been fabulous. But it never happened. It's just circumstance sometimes, that's the way it is.”
Topics: Formula 1, Ferrari, Red Bull Racing, Max Verstappen
Tom Jenkins