Adrian Newey addresses future after shock approach from rivals

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Newey addresses future after shock approach from rivals

Adrian Newey has rejected Ferrari on numerous occasions

Cal Gaunt

Saturday 23 December 2023 10:57

Adrian Newey recently disclosed that Ferrari have extended three invitations for him to join their team in the past.

Despite being one of Formula 1's eminent minds, Newey has consistently declined these overtures.

While Ferrari's allure is undeniable in motorsport, Newey has emphasised his unlikelihood of leaving Red Bull, citing his strong ties to the Milton Keynes team and a reluctance to relocate to Italy as key factors.

Adrian Newey has been a major factor in Red Bull's recent success in F1

Adrian Newey has explained that it would be near impossible for him to leave Red Bull for a rival

Newey: Ferrari 'magic' can't tempt me

“Ferrari is this magic brand that I suppose in all honesty, probably everybody in motor racing is always fascinated by and tempted to join if there’s the opportunity,” he told the Formula for Success podcast.

“And I’ve been approached and come close three times now. One of those in IndyCar way back.

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“It’s an amazing brand. It has had all this mystique about it. It’s effectively the Italian national team, with all the pros and cons that come with that.

“And the cons are that if you don’t do a great job, you’re absolutely berated and torn apart. Of course, if you do a good job, then you’re a national hero. So that brings all its own pressures.

“But I mean for me, I have to try to take the passion, that side, out and approach it from an engineering side and the teams I’ve worked for I’ve hugely enjoyed.”

Adrian Newey credits David Coulthard with bringing him to Red Bull nearly two decades ago

'Never say never'

On the podcast alongside David Coulthard, who played a pivotal role in persuading him to join Red Bull in the past, Newey acknowledged the difficulty of parting ways with the team.

Despite the lingering possibility, he expressed a strong attachment to Red Bull and the challenges that would accompany a potential departure.

“Red Bull, which is largely in part to your advice David, because that’s a team I’ve been at, more or less from the start,” he said.

“It’s a team that I’ve been very centrally involved in developing the engineering side of that of the team, so it’s a team I kind of feel comfortable with. We all know how we work.

“To change now, I’m not saying I would never ever change, you should never say that, but it would be like walking out on your family. Because that’s what it’s become.”

Red Bull Ferrari Formula 1 Adrian Newey IndyCar Italy