Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren, stood alongside Adrian Newey.
Mercedes and McLaren bosses Toto Wolff and Zak Brown have weighed in on their teams’ positions regarding Adrian Newey, with his exit from Red Bull now confirmed.
After days and weeks of speculation about his future with the reigning World Champions, the team’s chief technology officer has finally confirmed his departure. In a statement, he revealed that he will be leaving in the first quarter of 2025. Throughout his tenure, he has been an invaluable asset to the team, with his signature being highly sought-after in the motorsport world. Under his guidance, the team has achieved a remarkable record of 25 Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles, making his involvement in the design process of their winning cars all the more significant.
McLaren and Mercedes weigh in on Adrian Newey position
Newey has acknowledged that Ferrari has approached him on several occasions throughout the years. If he becomes available and expresses his desire to remain in Formula 1, the Scuderia might contemplate making another attempt to secure his services.
It was also widely reported that Aston Martin made Newey an offer to head to the Silverstone-based team at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend back in March, which team principal Mike Krack denied was the case.
Mercedes’ team principal and CEO, Wolff, stated that they are maintaining a non-intervening stance regarding the unfolding events at Red Bull. Currently, he is merely observing the situation from a distance.
During a speaking engagement in New York, Wolff commented on Adrian Newey’s distinguished career as an F1 engineer and the ongoing speculation surrounding his potential departure from Red Bull. The BBC reported Wolff’s statement.
“I’m simply observing it as a fan, keeping an eye on that area.”
PlanetF1.com recommends
Follow PlanetF1.com’s WhatsApp channel for all the F1 breaking news!
Ranked: The top 10 most successful Adrian Newey Formula 1 car designs
During his previous tenure at McLaren in the 1990s, Newey achieved World Championship triumph by crafting the cars that propelled Mika Hakkinen to victory, triumphing over Michael Schumacher, Eddie Irvine, and Ferrari.
In their current guise, McLaren moved from a one-person technical directorship under James Key to a three-pronged approach at the top of the team last season, which split the role into different areas.
Team CEO Brown stated that he is more inclined to maintain the current approach rather than pursuing Newey, even if he were to become available.
According to Brown, Adrian is not only a good friend but also undoubtedly the most accomplished designer in history.
Nevertheless, at McLaren, we have implemented a well-structured plan and I am exceedingly content with our exceptional technical leadership team and the strides we are taking to reclaim our position at the forefront of the grid.
Read next: Five big Miami GP questions: Adrian Newey future, Red Bull upgrade threat and more
