News of Adrian Newey’s departure from Red Bull led to rumors of several teams on the paddock being interested in him. However, whichever team he potentially joins will have to wait until 2026 to avail his services officially. To counter this, Newey’s lawyers are ensuring he can get to work as soon as possible.
Newey’s current Red Bull contract runs out at the end of the 2025 season. Per the terms of this deal, if he is to leave Red Bull in 2024, the Austrian stable will make him serve a one-year gardening leave.
BBC’s Andrew Benson reports that Newey is eager to cut ties with the Milton-Keynes-based outfit and embark on his next project in F1. He wrote,
“His lawyers are securing an early exit and he will be free to start work from next year, high-level sources close to Red Bull and Newey have said.”
Newey‘s ‘gardening leave’ clause means that he won’t be able to work on his ‘new’ team’s 2026 car. This will put him out of sync with the new regulations. However, if his team of lawyers can negotiate that early release, it could give Newey’s future employers a massive advantage.
F1’s regulation changes will focus on the engine side of things in particular. But the sport has also teased the possibility of introducing ‘active aerodynamics’, which makes 2026 the year that could see a massive reshuffle in terms of the pecking order.
Adrian Newey’s discontent with Christian Horner
The reported reason behind Newey’s decision to leave Red Bull is his discontent with how the team dealt with Christian Horner’s saga. Newey, at this stage of his career wants stability internally and a good project to work on. Red Bull doesn’t offer the former at the moment.
For Red Bull, Newey’s departure could mark the beginning of the end of their dominance. Newey was one the main brains behind their Championship wins between 2010 and 2013, and again from 2022 to present date.
If Newey leaves, other key personnel could depart including Max Verstappen. The Dutch driver, who won three World Championships in a row also craves a peaceful environment and is linked with a move to Mercedes in the near future.
