With speculations running wild over Adrian Newey picking his next destination, another bold claim has surfaced. BBC’s Andrew Benson claims the Red Bull CTO already has offers from Ferrari and Aston Martin on the table. However, Benson expects the 65-year-old to give Aston Martin a pass and advises him to shift his gaze to the other options.
Benson believes McLaren and Mercedes are the only teams other than Aston Martin and Ferrari that can afford to hire Newey. Given that both McLaren and Mercedes have their headquarters in the UK, the aerodynamicist won’t have to plan an extensive relocation.
But given the recent rivalry with Mercedes and a shaky past with McLaren, Newey might be apprehensive. Benson wrote, “Newey has been made offers by Ferrari and Aston Martin. I’m told by sources close to him that he is seriously considering Ferrari but is not interested in going to Aston Martin.”
Benson then added, “But I would not rule out someone else coming in for him. Not every team could afford him. But McLaren and Mercedes certainly could – and going there would be less disruptive domestically to Newey, even if it would not have the same romantic draw as Ferrari.”
Adrian Newey switched from McLaren to Red Bull in 2006. The opportunity to build a legacy of working with a year-old team and winning titles with them was enticing enough for him to join the Milton Keynes outfit.
While that is the reason Newey gave, many believe he did not enjoy the freedom he commanded at McLaren. That tussle with Ron Dennis may have been the reason for him jumping ship.
What makes Mercedes a deal-breaker for Adrian Newey?
Adrian Newey is undoubtedly the hottest property in the F1 market currently, arguably even more so than three-time champion Max Verstappen. Newey’s reported availability comes at a time when Mercedes is struggling to cope with the ground effect regulations.
And the 65-year-old is perhaps an engineer who has an understanding of the concept like none other. Naturally, that should get him on the Silver Arrows’ shopping list.
However, there is a good reason why Mercedes as well as Adrian Newey might not be interested in going through with it. Mercedes already has a team of renowned engineers like James Allison and Mike Elliot, to name a few. They all have championship-winning experience under their belt.
The presence of such strong personalities might lead to the clash of not just opinions but also egos. Toto Wolff, who already has the burden of finding a replacement for Lewis Hamilton, will certainly have no interest in inviting another trouble for himself.
The Austrian is reportedly set to meet Max Verstappen to discuss a switch after the Miami GP. Now, it would be interesting to see what Wolff’s response would be if the Dutchman demands he brings Newey along as well.
