Bigger and bigger bids for Adrian Newey
The British engineer has decided to leave Red Bull at the end of the year after 18 years with the Austrian team. This decision has caused a stir among the other teams, who continue to raise the stakes.
Even though one might have thought that Adrian Newey’s decision to leave Red Bull would cause a real upheaval, nobody probably imagined that it would take on such magnitude. Probably the most sought-after person in the world of Formula 1 right now, several teams are vying for his arrival and sending increasingly lavish proposals.
An astronomical offer from Aston Martin
According to the German media F1-Insider, the British team Aston Martin recently offered a 4-year contract worth 100 million euros. A huge sum that demonstrates the interest in the legend of design in Formula 1.
During the Hungarian Grand Prix, discussions between the British engineer and the team based in Silverstone resurfaced when the two Spaniards of the team, Fernando Alonso and Pedro de la Rosa, humorously mentioned Aston Martin’s future recruit: “He’s someone you’re going to like… you’re going to like him a lot”, the former HRT driver notably quipped to his compatriot when he was holding a photo of Adrian Newey in his hand.
This offer demonstrates the ambitions of Aston Martin and the financial capacity of the team of Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll. An amount that puts them in a strong position, even if several other teams have not yet had the last word in negotiations.
Several teams still hope to recruit Newey
Among them, the Ferrari team, which was Adrian Newey’s preferred destination until a few weeks ago, before divergences emerged between the two parties. Despite this, optimism is still present in the Maranello team, notably according to Frédéric Vasseur’s words when the rumor of his team’s interest in the British driver from Red Bull appeared.
“Newey? The same answer would apply to a hypothetical question about Verstappen. I would like to see which team principal would say no to profiles like Adrian or Max. It would be a serious technical mistake if I didn’t consider Newey. However, recently, discussions between the two parties have come to a halt, with Ferrari’s boss notably stating that such a recruitment could disrupt the team’s organizational chart.”
« But the question is different: does he integrate into the team? And what does he bring to the team for the future? Success is not guaranteed. Sometimes, one plus one doesn’t make two, but two and a half. Newey is definitely a problem in terms of integration into a team, just as he is a problem for everyone,” he notably retorted, considering that the arrival of Adrian Newey could bring negative elements to a team that is primarily looking for a certain stability.
If the Ferrari track does not materialize for the British engineer, other options are available to him, such as the Mercedes team, which would have offered him shares of the team as well as a staggering salary. An enticing offer for a team returning to the forefront. McLaren and Williams are also interesting options, given that the former engineer of these two teams is not very inclined to leave England.
Many choices are therefore available to him and he explained that he would announce the name of his future team at the end of the year. A decision that must be carefully considered, with Newey being more interested in the sporting aspect than the financial one and not wanting to be influenced in any way by the rumors circulating in the media.
« I have to admit that I don’t read the press much, but of course, I hear things. Amanda, my wife, follows this and gives me a general overview, so yes, it’s very flattering, of course. Ultimately, that’s not why I do this job. Since the age of 10 or 11, I always wanted to be a race car designer, and I managed to achieve that goal, so everything else is really a bonus.
Therefore, there are only a few months left to wait before discovering what Adrian Newey’s new team will be, but until then, he must finish his chapter with Red Bull.
