The design legend of Formula 1, Adrian Neweycould be barred from joining rival teams until 2027 unless an agreement is reached to release him earlier, Motorsport.com has learned.
It emerged on Thursday that Newey had expressed privately to some Red Bull team members about his desire to leave the Milton Keynes team.
Although the team remains dominant in F1, it is suggested that Newey has become disillusioned by the fallout from the power battle that erupted earlier this year for control of the team amid uncertainty over the future of team boss Christian Horner.
However, sources have suggested that the situation is not as clear-cut as some believe – and that there has been no formal communication with the Milton Keynes-based team’s senior management, nor with Red Bull’s energy drinks parent company, about him leaving his role as technical director.
Furthermore, sources suggested that there was no official resignation handed out.
Further rumors say Newey’s departure could open the door for a move to a deep-pocketed rival, with both Ferrari and Aston Martin known to have been trying to lure the design legend.
Both teams would benefit from Newey’s contribution as they set lofty goals to reach the top of F1.
Ferrari will be bolstered by the arrival of Lewis Hamilton next year, and a move for Newey there would see him work with the Italian team and the seven-time world champion for the first time.
However, it is questionable whether or not Newey would like to undergo a major upheaval in his life and move to Maranello – and potentially enter a situation that could be as politically complex as Red Bull.
Aston Martin has also been trying to lure Newey, with Motorsport.com recently revealing that owner Lawrence Stroll personally made an offer to lure him.
Stroll has a super-ambitious vision for the Silverstone team, and a move for Newey would be logistically easier – and would see him renew a working relationship with Dan Fallows after the two worked together at Red Bull for several years.
But the situation surrounding Newey is incredibly complex, especially when it comes to his contractual arrangements.
As Red Bull made clear in a statement on Thursday evening, Newey’s current contract, which was signed at the start of last year, currently commits him to working for the team until the end of 2025.
However, it is also understood that there are other contract clauses that could prevent him from joining one of Red Bull’s rivals for a further 12 months – which would, in theory, make him unavailable to another team until 2027.
This delay would minimize Newey’s contribution until early 2028, which is already in the next rules cycle, when teams will already be heavily committed to their next cars.
By now, Newey would be approaching 70, so would likely be retiring after a brilliant F1 career.
The other potential scenario that could be playing out is that Newey could be looking to move away from F1 completely, rather than going all in on another team.
He is known to be enthusiastic about other projects, such as Red Bull’s RB17 hypercar, but continuing to work on it would require him to remain part of the Milton Keynes-based operation rather than outside it.
The only way Newey could accelerate any move to a rival would be if an agreement was reached between all interested parties – himself, Red Bull and a new team – to pay the terms of his current contract.
However, such a deal would likely be extremely expensive, as Red Bull would be reluctant to let him go as it could give a competitor a head start.
