Adrian Newey’s future continues to hold sway. In Imola, comments were made on the statements made last weekend during the historic Monaco Grand Prix, words that remove the hypothesis of a withdrawal. “If twenty years ago they had told me that in 2024 I would think about changing teams I would have replied ‘that’s an absolutely crazy hypothesis’ – he explained – now instead I think I’ll take a bit of holiday, but immediately afterwards I’ll be back on track ”. The big question mark, about which many rumors are circulating, is related to the uniform he will wear.
There is one fixed point: Newey has not yet signed any contract. The information is confirmed (always ‘off record’) by some teams who are in direct contact with the British engineer, all hoping to be able to offer a package capable of convincing him to have him on board. In the total paddock Ferrari seems to be in pole position, but there are also experts who are not entirely convinced that they see ‘genius’ in a red uniform.
Adrian Newey which team will he choose?
Photo by: Alexander Trienitz
It is whispered that after Miami he spent a lot of time on the phone, and that there were several teams on the other end, including Mercedes and Aston Martin. However, it is unclear how much time Newey will need before making a final decision.
“The important thing is to have him on board by the end of the year – explained an engineer – the work in the wind tunnel on the 2026 project will be able to start from next January 1st, a team that decides to make an investment in a figure of so another profile like Newey will certainly not want to give up having him available when the guidelines for the next generation of single-seaters are defined.”
Another aspect that emerged from various coaches of different teams is Newey’s inclusion in the structures of structured teams. On paper it should not be in conflict with an already defined technical staff, in his last years of stay at Red Bull the daily work was carried out by the technical director Pierre Waché and the aerodynamic manager Enrico Balbo, but the door of Newey’s office ( or his phone when he was not physically in Milton Keynes) had always been open. When it came to making decisions on the philosophy of the project or on some critical issues, Newey’s vision became crucial for the direction to take.
In a scenario like the one described, his arrival in a team that already has a complete organizational chart (as in the case of Ferrari, Mercedes and Aston Martin itself) should not create shocks. But there is a potential critical issue, highlighted by an engineer. “It can work, but we must take into account that beyond the contribution that such a valuable technician will be able to guarantee, the media will assign authorship of the projects to Newey. If this aspect does not create problems for those who are already at the helm of a team’s technical department today, then the team will only benefit. If, vice versa, Newey’s arrival is not well received by those who already have technical responsibility for the team, it will be a headache.”
A question (also) of ego, pride and visibility. The team that manages to have Newey on its staff will have to take into account that the spotlight will all be on ‘genius’.
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