Newey: ‘I had no idea what I was going to do next'

Legendary F1 designer Adrian Newey says he had no idea where his engineering career would take him next – if anywhere at all – following his decision to depart Red Bull in the spring of 2025.

Newey stunned the Formula 1 world by announcing his departure from the Milton Keynes-based outfit on the eve of the 2024 Miami Grand Prix after more than two decades with the championship winning team.

In the following months, the Briton remained involved with Red Bull through his continued work on the RB17 hypercar, marking the beginning of his gradual exit from the team.

But what followed, Newey now admits, was a rare moment of uncertainty in an otherwise relentless career.

“I resigned from Red Bull for a whole host of reasons, and genuinely at that point had no idea what I was going to do next,” he told Sky F1 in Monaco last weekend upon his return to the paddock with Aston Martin after a 12-month absence.

“So then it was kind of sitting back, thinking about it, chatting to Mandy, my wife, about what we should do. That ranged from kind of relax and go on sun holidays, drink lots of margaritas or something to going again to work.

“And then, if it’s going to be work, what would that be?"

Weighing Options Beyond F1

The weeks that followed were filled with possibilities.

Some, like America’s Cup, caught his curiosity. Red Bull Technologies had been involved in the sailing competition, and Newey saw technological parallels with F1. But he found one key element lacking.

"America’s Cup is very interesting, very much a parallel universe,” Newey said.

“Technologies are all very similar. The only thing I don’t like about America’s Cup is there’s no right of reply. You’ve got a competition once every four years.

"And from when the boat goes in the water to when you're competing is two months at most. So if you haven’t got the design quite right to start with, you really haven’t got time to sort it out.

“Whereas in Formula 1, even if you don’t start the season well, if you’ve got the fundamental architecture of the car right, you’ve got the right power unit, great drivers, then you can turn it around. And McLaren’s a very good current example of that.”

Drawn Back to F1’s Thrill

Newey acknowledged that his passion for road cars, sparked by projects like the Aston Martin Valkyrie and the ongoing RB17, was tempting.

“Road cars have always been an interest,” he said. “I enjoyed the Valkyrie project, I am enjoying the RB17 project because I’m still involved in that.”

Yet, it was F1’s unique blend of man, machine, and weekly competition that proved irresistible.

“But I think what I’ve loved about my career is that combination of man and machine, sporting endeavour - the fact that every week, or very often now every week, you’re out on show,” he explained.

• Read also: Newey and Cowell at odds over Aston Martin simulator woes

Comparing F1 to other fields, Newey reflected on peers working in aeronautics.

“If I compare that [F1] to my friends from university who went into aeronautics, working on aircraft for companies like British Aerospace or Rolls [Royce], they’re working on projects where you don’t see whatever you’re working on fly for 10 or 15 years,” he said.

“There’s not a lot of feedback. So I kind of felt it needed to be man and machine, competition again.”

And so, F1 it is again – this time in Aston Martin green. While the world speculated on his future, Newey was simply figuring out where he’d feel most alive.

Now, once more, he’s back where he belongs: on the front line of the fastest show on Earth.

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