Formula 1’s most successful designer Adrian Newey has given the strongest indication yet he intends to continue in the sport after leaving Red Bull.
The 65-year-old’s departure from the world champions was confirmed two weeks ago. He will become a free agent early next year, prompting speculation he will join one of Red Bull’s rivals in time to oversee the creation of a car for F1’s new 2026 technical regulations.Red Bull team principal Christian Horner stressed Newey’s desire to take some time out when his departure was announced. But speaking in an interview with his manager Eddie Jordan, Newey admitted “at some point I’ll probably go again” after leaving the team.
Newey revealed he spoke with IndyCar owner Roger Penske and former Formula 1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone, who are 87 and 93 respectively, who inspired him to carry on working. He said his plans were also influenced by the memory of his father, who suffered a series of brain haemorrhages which impaired his cognitive abilities before his death in 2008.
“It’s slightly emotional to say it, but he kind of lost his way a bit in his retirement,” said Newey. “I thought he’d be very happy continuing to tinker around on cars and stuff and he just lost his mojo a bit.
“[So] kind of a combination of that and then two of the people that I respect the most, Bernie and Roger Penske, I asked them both ‘what’s your secret?’ because they’ve kept going and going and for their age they’re phenomenally mentally agile and physically agile. And they both said that old thing that the brain’s like a muscle, it needs exercise and so you need to keep doing that.”
He still feels the desire to continue working in motorsport. “I’ve wanted to work in motor racing as a designer since I was the age of eight or ten and I’ve been lucky enough to fulfil that ambition to have got that first job and been in motor racing ever since.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
“So every day has just been a bonus really, I just love what I do. So at some point I guess I’ll have a bit of a holiday and as Forrest Gump said at the end of his long run, I feel a little bit tired at the moment, but at some point I’ll probably go again.”
The constant feedback provided by competition is a key part of the appeal of motorsport, said Newey.
“The great thing about motor racing – it can be very painful – but every two weeks or so, well every flipping week now the way the calendar’s gone, you know how you’re doing. So that feedback, I think, is what vitalises the whole thing. I guess that’s what I’ve got used to over the years and I know I’d miss it if I wasn’t doing it.”
Newey’s designs have won world championships for Williams, McLaren and Red Bull. Nonetheless he was surprised by the level of interest in the news of his decision to leave his current team, which was coincidentally announced on the anniversary of Ayrton Senna’s fatal crash in a Williams designed by Newey.
“Miami was a really strange race for me because the news had just broken in the press. A very unfortunate day: It was the 1st of May, which is, that horrible 30th year anniversary of the horrible events of Imola, 30 years ago. So it’s a very difficult and unfortunate day for that press release to come out.
“But then the Miami Grand Prix itself was strange because I was there in a strategy function, hence being on the pit wall, but I wasn’t involved in any of the engineering decisions or in the any of the engineering meetings. I was just being wheeled around for press, basically. So kind of not what gets me up.
“I never really think about it so I never thought it would be big news, to be perfectly honest. I never really thought about it. So for it to be in all the flipping papers and on the telly and stuff was almost a bit of a shock.”
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
Formula 1
- Another name change for RB and new driver numbers revealed in 2025 F1 entry list
- 10 startling statistics from Perez’s worst season yet at Red Bull
- FIA tweaks rules after McLaren ‘mini DRS’ row and defines new ‘heat hazard’ regulations
- Former F1 team principal Eddie Jordan reveals cancer diagnosis
- FIA reveals new images showing changes to plan for 2026 F1 cars
SteveP
16th May 2024, 12:44
Cars, machinery – nice.
People, hmm, the jury is out but tending toward not nice…
SteveP
16th May 2024, 12:46
That’s me.
Adrian looks to of a similar mind.
Kerry Maxwell (@kerrymaxwell)
16th May 2024, 21:32
But will he be wearing red, green, or blue?
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
16th May 2024, 22:07
Red, with blue bits.
AlanD
16th May 2024, 22:28
Well, as long it isn’t an itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini
Mooa42
16th May 2024, 22:44
As much as he loves it, the amount of races ATM is not making it easy for these guys, you still need time to have a life outside motorsport.
I need the time away from F1, and all I do is watch!
I liked 16 races a season, time to build the anticipation and time for teams to bring changes to each round.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
17th May 2024, 1:21
I didn’t like it with 16 races a season, every time there’s a 2 weeks wait it’s neverending, a week is more like it for me, though I understand when you’re in the f1 paddock it can be overwhelming to race every week.
MarkWebber (@markwebber)
17th May 2024, 2:21
16 races was perfect. It makes each Grand Prix more special and increases the chances of seeing a fight for the championship until the last race.
Dale
16th May 2024, 23:45
He’s in for an absolutely enormous payday to finish up his career.
There’s going to be a bidding war, and with the players involved the numbers are going to be eye-wateringly large.
Question is whether he wants to get in on the ground floor of something like the Audi project, put the finishing touches on something at Ferrari, work with an iconic British brand in multiple race series like Aston Martin, or fix the Toto Wolff mess and save a few sets of headphones & desks from destruction.
pcxmac (@pcxmac)
17th May 2024, 2:41
i’d take the yacht in a hot minute. and consult on the side. 26-f1 is cringe on steroids with the Frankenstein motors.
Tristan
17th May 2024, 3:44
a year old quote which has since been walked back from Horner is what you’re going with?
anon
17th May 2024, 8:42
Tristan, I doubt that poster cares if the quote is accurate or not – it’s the rant that they want to go on that is more important to them.
dragoll (@dragoll)
17th May 2024, 3:05
I still think Newey would be a great asset to the FIA in helping to shape the technical rules, like what Ross Brawn was able to do. Taking some time to recharge and then coming back under the FIA banner would still keep him in motorsport, but not as demanding as being in a team. Or maybe, he’s just going to be a consultant and provide advice to all the teams :D
Tristan
17th May 2024, 3:45
Could be, I’d love to see it if he took on the challenge. You’d think Newey could provide a set of regulations with enough freedom to inspire the next generation. But it doesn’t sound likely based on his quotes here, not a lot of competition in that.
Tristan
17th May 2024, 3:26
Surprised they kicked him out of the engineering side so quickly. I would have thought his expertise would be invaluable compared to whatever new knowledge he could take elsewhere.