Could Adrian Newey Retire from Formula 1 or Is the Time Not Right?

After so much media speculation around Red Bull Racing’s CEO and Team Principal, Christian Horner, the allegations have created a rift that has been ignited amongst the team, resulting in their Global Chief Technical Officer, Adrian Newey, deciding to leave Red Bull Racing at the end of 2025 Formula 1 season?

The one and only - Adrian Newey

The designer from Stratford-Upon-Avon has undoubtedly earned himself the title of Formula 1’s most successful car designer in history. Claiming 12 Formula 1 Constructors Titles whilst propelling his team’s star drivers to glory. That includes Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve, Mika Häkkinen, Sebastian Vettel and now Max Verstappen. Helping achieve 13 Driver’s Championships within his illustrious career the legendary engineer has decided it may be time to put down his notebook and pen.

But the question is, will Adrian Newey want to add another driver to his remarkable CV of success? Or step away from Formula 1 entirely after an impressive 40 years in the sport, achieving an impressive 25 Formula 1 Championships?

Let’s start with the rumours surrounding whether Newey will join another team. The team that has been heavily rumoured is Ferrari.

Newey to Ferrari?

Spanish GP 2009, Adrian Newey and Ross Brawn, source: flickr.com/photos/near_fantastica

When Sky Sports F1 covered the fact that Newey’s departure from Red Bull was legitimate, Ferrari immediately approached Newey with an offer to join the team, but it wasn’t just Ferrari who made the offer it was also Aston Martin. The representatives of Ferrari sat down with Newey at the end of April to discuss joining the team from Maranello, with no confirmation in terms of what was discussed between the two parties.
Lewis Hamilton expressed his opinion of Newey’s potential move to Ferrari at the Thursday Press Conference as: “I don’t know, we’ll see” finishing the statement with a smile on his face.

Miami Grand Prix

However, moving to the weekend of the Miami Grand Prix, Sky Sports F1’s expert analyst, Martin Brundle, spoke to Adrian Newey about his future within Formula 1, attempting to find an answer to Newey’s ambitions. Newey made his intentions clear as he wants a break from the sport: “F1 is all-consuming, I’ve been at it for a long time now… there comes a point where, as Forrest Gum said ‘I’m feeling a little bit tired.”

Clearing the rumours of what will happen next. And throwing the nugget of seeing Newey in red, he shut the rumours down and made solidified his future endeavors stating: “It’s about taking a break and seeing what happens next”

Not ruling out a retirement suggestion, Adrian may feel the need to step away from the sport for 2025 and return for 2026, and with heavy rumours surrounding Ferrari, Newey may want a new challenge with the new 2026 Formula 1 Regulations being introduced.

Newey’s wife looking for houses?

And there is more evidence to support the claim that Newey may join the Scarlet Red team. Newspaper outlet, The Express, discovered that Adrian Newey’s wife, Amanda Smerczak has been scouting the Italian house market searching for properties, indicating that Red Bull’s current CTO is considering a move potential to the Maranello-based team. But nothing has been confirmed by Newey or his wife Amanda.

Vasseur vs. Stroll

Ferrari’s prospect is very enticing as Fred Vasseur’s driver lineup consists of 103-time Grand Prix winner Lewis Hamilton and five-time Grand Prix winner, Charles Leclerc. But who’s to say that Adrian Newey may not sign with Aston Martin for 2026?

It is also possible as Aston Martin has approached Newey but just like Ferrari, nothing has come to fruition. And with Aston Martin resigning Fernando Alonso up to 2026, it should not be counted out that Newey may have weighed the idea of moving to the Silverstone-based team. Alonso has made his intentions clear that the British team has the best ‘project’ for the 2026 Regulations being introduced.

What could Newey choose?

So, would Newey consider working alongside two-time world champion, Fernando Alonso and invest himself in a new challenge for 2026 with Aston Martin? Is another option for Adrian to weigh in his options. But ever since Newey’s announcement to step away from Red Bull, it is too early to predict. Furthermore, Lawrence Stroll has also been setting his sight on Adrian Newey.  According to AutoSport’s Roberto Chinchero, Stroll has made Newey an offer, an offer that matches the most-paid drivers on the Formula 1 grid.

But this offer was made throughout the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend, when allegations were made around Christian Horner, in these hopes of deterring Red Bull’s CTO away from the Milton Keynes team. But was this offer made by Lawrence Stroll, the beginning of a domino effect not only for Aston Martin’s Chief, but for other teams to start looking to poach Newey for next season?

While all teams in the Formula 1 paddock would benefit from someone of Adrian’s calibre, most teams may not be able to afford him. However, Sky Sports’ Nigel Chiu uncovers that Mercedes are not in the running to sign Red Bull’s CTO, but David Croft, Sky Sports F1’s race commentator stated during the Miami Grand Prix weekend:
“There is talk of his representatives meeting up with Toto Wolff and looking to a move to Mercedes from next season over the Miami weekend.” This would take place for the 2025 season, but ever since these comments were made, there has been no expansion on the comment made by David Croft, or Mercedes.

All the rumours and the global chatter made by so many publications as to where Adrian Newey would be next year in 2025 or 2026 is too early to predict where he will go. But it is highly unlikely Adrian will return to the sport for the 2025 Formula 1 under a new team. But for 2026, Newey has not ruled out having a new challenge to invest in.

As it has been only a week after the Miami Grand Prix, which is where the announcement surfaced, the Formula 1 community will have to wait until later in the season for more updates.