Newey Addresses Hamilton's 'Very Kind' Words Concerning Potential Team-Up In Ferrari

F1
Saturday, 04 May 2024 at 14:00
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Red Bull's chief technical officer, Adrian Newey, will be leaving the team at the beginning of 2025. He discussed his decision during the 2024 Miami Grand Prix weekend.

Earlier this week, Red Bull officially confirmed Adrian Newey will be leaving the team. He should now step back to focus purely on his RB17 project before departing the team in the first quarter of 2025.

The Austrian team decided not to enforce gardening leave on the 65-year-old car designer legend, which means he would be free to join another team at the start of 2025.

However, it seems like Newey is in no rush to make sign a contract with another team anytime soon. He explained to Sky Sports how exhausted he feels at the moment:

"F1 is all-consuming. I've been at it for a long time now. 2021 was a really busy year because of the tight battle with Mercedes, through the championship and at the same time, putting all the research into the RB18 [the 2022 car]."
"There comes a point where I just felt, as Forrest Gump said, 'I'm feeling a little bit tired.'"

If the Briton were to join a team, it is said that it would be a Ferrari. The seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton joins the Italian team after the end of this season.

Speaking to the media before the Sprint race weekend in Miami, Hamilton said it would be a privilege for him to work with the 65-year-old and that Newey is at the top of the list of people he would like to collaborate with.

"It's very kind of Lewis to say that. I'm very flattered. At the moment, it's just take a bit of a break and see what happens next."

Sky Sport's Martin Brundle also asked the departing chief technical officer about how long he has been mulling over his decision, and he replied:

"A little while now. I guess over the winter a little bit. Then as events have unfolded this year, I thought, I'm in very lucky position where I don't need to work to live. I work because I enjoy it. I just felt now is a good time to step back a bit, take a break and take stock of life."