Adrian Newey has confirmed his return to Formula 1 racing, eager to reengage actively for another four to five years.
Newey has confirmed for the first time that he plans to join another Formula 1 team following his decision to leave Red Bull.
The legendary 65-year-old F1 designer said he is “seriously considering switching teams, going elsewhere and doing another four or five years at least in F1”.
“I feel a bit tired right now, but at some point, I’ll probably go back.”
Newey shared this in an interview with his manager, Eddie Jordan. Jordan revealed that Christian Horner took Newey’s departure very hard.
“You know what he called me? Do you know what he called me when he found out? First off, his jaw was somewhere down by his trousers. You know, it’s quite a jaw drop at first, but he said: ‘Ah, EJ, you’re a bloody silent assassin.'”
Newey also admitted being frustrated by what he perceived as attempts by “certain Red Bull personalities” to publicly downplay his influence in their current success.
“Leaving Red Bull was a very tough decision, but it was one I had to make for a whole host of reasons. They were my family. I never really thought it would be big news, so to see it in all the papers and on TV was almost a shock.”
“But my father in his time, my friends like Bernie Ecclestone and Roger Penske, still active, they all told me that the brain is like a muscle, it needs exercise, and so you must continue to exercise in what you do best.”
“So that’s why I will definitely come back.”
Retirement was also an option for Newey.
“If you had asked me 15 years ago, at 65, if I would seriously consider switching teams, going elsewhere and doing another four or five years, I would have said you are absolutely crazy. I’ve wanted to work in motorsport as a designer since I was eight or ten years old. I was fortunate to realize that ambition, to have gotten that first job, and to have stayed in motorsport ever since. Every day has been a bonus. I love what I do.”
Newey will continue to attend some F1 races with Red Bull this year, his main focus being the RB17 hypercar project before his departure from the company.
However, Newey already knows that he would miss the competitive aspect of F1 if he stopped completely.
“What’s great about racing is that it can be very painful, but every two weeks or so, you know where you stand.”
“That’s what energizes everything. And I suppose that’s what I’ve become accustomed to over the years and I know I would miss it if I didn’t do it.”
“The Miami Grand Prix itself was strange because I was there, I was on the pit wall in a strategic role, but I wasn’t involved in any of the technical decisions or any of the engineering meetings. In fact, I was just there for the press and I was already itching!”
Adrian Newey Announces F1 Return for 4-5 More Years. Adrian Newey Announces F1 Return for 4-5 More Years
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