We recently learned that Adrian Newey will leave Red Bull in 2025 and that has made the Miami Grand Prix a bit less interesting in comparison
For those not as deep into Formula 1 Adrian Newey is a prominent British Formula One engineer. Newey has an illustrious career spanning Formula One and IndyCar racing, excelling in various roles such as race engineer, aerodynamicist, designer, and technical director.
Widely hailed as one of Formula One‘s greatest engineers, if not the greatest. Newey‘s designs have clinched numerous titles and over 200 Grands Prix victories. His exceptional talent is evidenced by his contribution to twelve Constructors’ Championships with three different Formula One teams and thirteen Drivers’ Championships with seven different drivers piloting his creations. Having crafted championship-winning cars for Williams F1 and McLaren, Newey joined Red Bull Racing in 2006. Under his designing role, the team achieved massive success. Something incredible for a team without their own engines as a client to Renault, also a team not owned by a car brand but an energy drink brand. He made them secure consecutive Formula One drivers’ and constructors’ championships from 2010 to 2013, as well as additional triumphs in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
The pinnacle of Newey‘s achievements came with the Newey-designed Red Bull Racing RB19, hailed as the most dominant Formula One car in history. It secured victory in an astounding 21 out of 22 races it contested, boasting an unparalleled success rate of 95.45%. Newey‘s design prowess also extended to the CART series, with wins in the 1985 and 1986 championships. However, on April 25, 2024, reports emerged indicating Newey’s departure from Red Bull Racing, marking the end of an era in Formula One engineering.
What’s next for Adrian Newey?
The two most commented options for the British designer are Aston Martin and Ferrari. In the past, he commented how he feels bad about how on his career he never designed a car for legendary drivers like Fernando Alonso or Lewis Hamilton or how he never worked with Ferrari. Perhaps, this could be the perfect chance to fulfill one of those dreams before retirement.
On one hand, Ferrari is every Formula 1 driver, race director, or engineer’s dream. Being able to end his career in red would be the perfect way to retire from F1. Specially, keeping in mind the ambitious Ferrari project with Leclerc and Hamilton as drivers and Fred Vasseur leading them. Also, money is not an issue for those in Maranello and the small Italian city looks like the perfect place to spend the last years of one’s career. The announcement sparked rumors. Everything is pointing at a Fred Vasseur and Adrian Newey meeting that supposedly took place in London yesterday, but nothing is confirmed.
On the other hand, Aston Martin is also capable of offering a very interesting salary and the Aston Martin factory in Silverstone is not far away from the Red Bull one in Milton-Keynes, bringing no need to move for Newey and his wife. Positive sides of the Aston Martin signing would be, obviously, Fernando Alonso and the Honda engine project for 2026. However, Aston Martin is also compromised by family ties as Lance Stroll is still part of the team and, perhaps, could make the Leclerc-Hamilton driver pair look so much better in comparison.
We might know his destination after the Miami Grand Prix
The Miami Grand Prix takes place this weekend with a sprint format. After that, the European dates will begin for Formula 1 with Emilia Romagna and Monaco. These are likely dates for an announcement like that. Again, the rumors of Fred Vasseur’s reunion are not confirmed but we might see some signs this weekend. Perhaps, an announcement of the future of the legendary engineer will take place in the following days.
The race in Miami will, like last year, bring all sorts of personalities to the Paddock. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are the most rumored couple arriving at the Grand Prix. Fans hope we could see a picture of Taylor Swift with the Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso after her mention of the car brand in her latest album.
Adrian Newey leaving also does not mean we will, most likely, see another Red Bull victory. The car designed by him is still in the hands of Max Verstappen and their supremacy is still undisputed. However, Ferrari is bringing a special livery with blue details for the race and blue race suits. This will not affect performance but might make the race a bit less predictable as we try to tell them apart from the Williams. The livery is not completely blue but more of a blue-detailed red livery could be a consecuence of the recent millionare partnership with HP. The technological giant made a great investment in the Ferrari structure and is getting a great spot, or spots, on the livery in return.
The race schedule, instead of making Europeans wake up early is making them go to bed late
After 3 rounds of morning coffee and Formula 1 in Australia, Japan, and China a night schedule is coming for European fans. The race will take place at 10 PM CEST and the sprint and qualifying sessions will be in a similar time.
Guillermo Lorenzo Manzano
