'Verstappen Would Be There In No Time': Berger Describes Power That Newey Currently Holds

Monday, 17 June 2024 at 14:00

Former F1 driver Gerhard Berger discussed Adrian Newey and the influence of his next career move following Red Bull's departure.

Following almost 20 years of collaboration with this Austrian team, the chief technical designer, Adrian Newey decided it was time for a change, and he will be leaving at the start of 2025.

Where will he be going? That isn't clear yet. The 65-year-old repeatedly spoke about taking some time off, first of all, but he lately admitted his work in F1 isn't probably done, suggesting he will be joining another team.

Newey's decision might be a catalyst for further big transfers in the driver market, as former F1 driver Gerhard Berger suggested. He told Bild:

"It's a must for every team to want to get him. If he opted for Mercedes, Verstappen would be there in no time at all. Newey is an absolute genius - where he is, there is success."

While almost every team is currently trying to persuade the legendary car designer to join them, there is one that is talked about the most- Ferrari.

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"He has proven that over the last 25 years. At the moment, however, it looks like Newey will end up at Ferrari."

Scuderia Ferrari has spoken with the 65-year-old multiple times in the past, and he himself wasn't really opposed to the idea of working with the Italian team. However, he felt better in the Red Bull environment (which isn't probably the case anymore).

What's more, Ferrari is clearly building something special at the moment under the leadership of its new team principal, Fred Vasseur, who has made multiple big changes since joining the team.

In 2026, Ferrari will have one of the strongest driver lineups on the grid featuring Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton- with whom Newey wanted to work for a long time. Berger added:

"If that happens, and I'm assuming it will, a new era of success could begin with team boss Frederic Vasseur, Newey, Charles Leclerc, and Hamilton. In my view, this combination could be very difficult for the others to beat."