Ted Kravitz’s ‘obvious’ clue as Adrian Newey debates F1 2025 future

Adrian Newey sketching on the grid

Ted Kravitz believes Adrian Newey is “obviously” joining a rival team when he leaves Red Bull, the pit lane reporter having noted Newey sketching rivals’ upgrades on the Silverstone grid.

Red Bull announced in May that this season would be Newey’s last with the Formula 1 team, the design guru set to leave in the first quarter of 2025.

‘I’ve got to tell you about Adrian Newey…’

Calling time on almost two decades with Red Bull, which included seven Drivers’ and six Constructors’ Championships – and the potential for more to come, Newey made it clear from the get-go that he doesn’t know if his final season with Red Bull will also be his last in Formula 1.

The 65-year-old spoke of being tired, a “Forrest Gump” level of tired, and said one day he may “be standing in the shower” and have a eureka moment as to his future goals, but now he wants a break from the “all-consuming” world of Formula 1.

But alternating his time between relaxing holidays in an Aston Martin DB6, no hints there, and working on Red Bull’s RB17 hypercar, Newey has also been present at a few races. One of those was Silverstone.

And it’s there that Kravitz noted what he believes is the biggest clue yet as to which way the design legend is leaning.

“I’ve got to tell you about Adrian Newey,” he said in his post-race Ted’s Notebook.

“Who amazingly is still coming to races, is amazingly still going around the Red Bull garage, looking at the car that he’s not in charge of anymore with his notebook and making notes about the Red Bull to take to wherever he’s going.

“And he’s on the grid sketching designs of what everybody else [is doing] and all the upgrades that every other team is bringing and thinking about, I’m going to take these.

“So clearly, whoever said that they think Adrian Newey is going to retire, err wrong.

“And he’s obviously going somewhere else because why would you be coming here and making notes about other people’s cars?”

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But if that is the case, the next question is which team will be fortunate to sign the design legend?

Although Ferrari were said to be leading the early running, of late it is Aston Martin who have emerged as the favourites with Newey even reportedly visiting the team’s factory.

“So, wherever he goes, whether it’s Aston Martin, or Ferrari, or less likely now I think Williams, or Mercedes, or McLaren, he’s clearly still turning up in Red Bull gear preparing for his future job,” Kravitz continued.

“I know he’s not allowed in Red Bull meetings anymore but I did think it was quite interesting that he is still around.”

As for when F1 can expect an announcement from the much-lauded technical guru, Newey told Sky F1: “I don’t know. At the moment I’m just kind of still working on the RB17, and then just taking some time off.”

Asked if by “autumn/winter” time he’ll know what’s next, he replied: “That’s certainly a target, by then I’ll need to make my mind up.”

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