The 2025 Formula 1 season already seems to be the subject of great expectations. Not only will new drivers join the grid, but Red Bull engineer Adrian Newey is also expected to take on a new position. The personnel market has been vying for his arrival since the announcement of his departure from the current champion team. With many successes to his credit, McLaren team’s CEO Zak Brown does not consider the British.
Adrian Newey, the man behind the champion
Today, Adrian Newey is considered the most successful engineer in the history of Formula 1. He who has worked in several teams during his career has always been successful. It all started when he joined the Williams-Renault team, which hired him, impressed by his talent. It is during the period 1991-1997 that he won his first Formula 1 titles. Before his departure, he won 5 constructor world championships.
During his time at McLaren, he notably designed the single-seaters with which Mika Häkkinen became world champion in 1998 and 1999. He also went on to develop cars at Red Bull, which he joined in 2006. Thanks to the fame of the team’s single-seaters in recent decades, Adrian Newey has become the most sought-after engineer in Formula 1.
The transfer market, already shaken up by the changes in drivers, experienced a second upheaval after his announcement. The British engineer will leave Red Bull at the beginning of the 2025 season. No one knows yet where he will go after his departure, but what is certain is that he has already received several offers. So far, Ferrari seemed like the logical choice for him, but recent rumors reveal that he might end up at Aston Martin. Ultimately, no matter his choice, he will not be going to McLaren.
A team already complete
In an interview with the BBC, Zak Brown, head of the team, said he did not want Adrian Newey for McLaren. “We will not be signing Adrian,” he said. It is clear that the director does not want to get involved in the battle raging through the paddock these days. On the contrary, Zak Brown seems pleased with the results and the work provided by his team. “I am very satisfied with the team. Adrian is a great friend, he has immense talent, an incomparable CV,” he acknowledges. “But with what we have in place here, I could not be happier. We can accomplish the task. I am satisfied with the racing team we have and we will try to win the World Championship with the current team.”
It seems that McLaren’s team capacity this year is at the same level as Red Bull’s. The Austrian team that has been dominating Formula 1 seasons so far is increasingly in danger. Their main rival, McLaren, is in second place in the driver and constructor standings. And all of this, without the help of Adrian Newey. “We have the talent and resources needed to achieve our goals,” Zak Brown emphasized.
This year is very different from the 2023 season for the team proudly sporting their orange color. In the previous season, the single-seaters struggled to make it to the front of the grid, especially in the first half. Luckily, in 2024, McLaren has regained the lead in the standings. A success that must be partly attributed to Andrea Stella, team principal. Andrea communicates very well. He listens very well. He is very hardworking. He is very technical. He leads by example. All the qualities you expect from a great leader. He has unlocked the potential that this team clearly had within it, explained Zak Brown.
Despite the difficulties encountered last year, the team leader remains confident for the end of the season, convinced that the team will catch up to Red Bull. « I felt that we would continue to close the gap. Did I think that we would be here at the summer break, one race away from taking the lead? he asked. « No. But if we maintain the same trajectory as in the last six or seven races, we will be where we need to be at the end of the year, he said. »
