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The news of Adrian Newey leaving Red Bull sent shockwaves throughout the F1 paddock. Red Bull, however, didn’t play into the furor, rather downplaying the British engineer’s exit. They won’t force Newey to serve his gardening leave too as per reports. But Anthony Davidson believes that Red Bull is putting up a strong face, and will most certainly miss Newey.
Newey has been an integral part of Red Bull’s success over the years. The Milton-Keynes-based outfit acknowledges this but remains adamant that his departure won’t affect them. Davidson, a former Mercedes sim driver, told Sky Sports,
“I don’t know. I think they might start missing his input, I really do believe that. Even if it’s just somebody to keep the team – the flow going, a bit like a conductor does with an orchestra.”
Insiders within Red Bull have been reportedly trying to downplay Newey’s contribution to their recent run of dominance. As even Davidson alluded to, they have been referring to Newey only as a ‘consultant’ and not the leading force behind the design and development of their latest cars.
Regardless, Newey remains one of the (if not the) greatest designers in F1 history. Even before joining Red Bull, the 65-year-old tasted Championship success with the likes of Ferrari and McLaren. To date, he has 25 World Titles to his name.
Safe to say, he remains one of the most sought-after men in the paddock.
What’s next for Adrian Newey after Red Bull exit?
Newey has been linked to multiple teams on the F1 paddock. However, his most likely destinations have been narrowed down to Ferrari or Aston Martin with the former being favorites.
Recently, even Williams (languishing at the bottom of the grid) was thrown into the mix when Team Principal James Vowles revealed that he held talks with Newey about a possible return to Grove.
Where Newey ends up going is to be seen, but he will remain with Red Bull for now.
However, he will step away from the “designing duties” of F1 operations with immediate effect. Instead, until the first quarter of 2025, he will focus on the team’s RB17 hyper-car project.
With regulation changes set to hit in a little more than a year, all 10 teams will be looking for a serial winner behind the scenes who can help them succeed with their experience and intellect. Newey excels in this front and will be in heavy demand over the next few months.
