F1: Newey expects to join new team at the end of season

New Delhi, May 16 Formula 1 most decorated designer Adrian Newey is expected to join a new team at the end of the 2024 season following his decision to leave Red Bull after 19 years.

Newey’s decision to leave his role as Red Bull chief technical officer after 19 years was announced earlier this month and according to BBC report Newey is now looking for new team to join hands

“I am seriously considering changing teams, going somewhere else and doing another four or five years or whatever,” Newey said to his manager Eddie Jordan in a You tube video. “I feel a little bit tired at the moment, but at some point I’ll probably go again.”

“To walk away from Red Bull was a very hard decision but it was one I needed to take for a whole host of reasons. They had been my family.”

However he didn’t disclose with which team he will join hands but almost all the F1 teams are in the line to have Newey in the team. It was reported that Newey had discussions with Ferrari and Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren Racing, has stated that they "never say never" to hiring Newey. James Vowles, the principal of the Williams team, claimed to have approached him and had a "light conversation."

Newey also revealed the decision to keep working beyond retirement age had been influenced by two factors. One was that his father retired at 65 and “kind of lost his way a bit, just lost his mojo a bit”.

The other was asking motorsport veterans Bernie Ecclestone and Roger Penske, still working in their 90s and 80s respectively, about retirement.

“They both said the brain is like muscle, it needs exercise so you need to keep doing that,” he said.

The scandal involving Red Bull team principal Christian Horner—who has been accused of sexual harassment and coercive, controlling behavior by a female employee—partially impacted Newey's decision to leave Red Bull.

Horner has been exonerated after one internal probe and rejects the accusations. While the complainant's appeal is still pending and should ultimately result in the same outcome, more developments are anticipated over time.

Lewis Hamilton, who is joining Ferrari next season, earlier said he is keen for Newey to join him in Maranello.

Source: IANS