F1 journalist and former team manager Peter Windsor believes it would be a significant loss for Toto Wolff if he fails to bring Adrian Newey to Mercedes. The rumors say that the top designer could go to Ferrari in 2025, and Windsor would think that is a very nice story. However, Mercedes would need the Brit more.
Newey and Red Bull Racing announced on May 1 that they will part ways more or less immediately. The engineer will no longer be concerned with the Formula 1 project, but with Red Bull’s Hypercar project. Newey could then choose around this time in 2025 to continue his career with another team, such as Aston Martin or Ferrari, both of which would love to have him. Mercedes is also interested, but the German racing team does not seem to be participating in Newey’s most attractive destinations. If Wolff cannot convince Newey to come to Brackley, then in Windsor’s eyes he has failed. “If Newey goes to Ferrari, it would be a big defeat for Wolff,” the Briton says in the livestream on his YouTube channel.
‘He has been with Red Bull for eighteen years, and then he will not go to Mercedes. If you want anyone more than any driver, it’s Newey. Wolff must admit that he was beaten by Ferrari,” Windsor said. ‘I would constantly try to bring Newey in anyway.’ Given the problems with the car at Mercedes, the German racing team would benefit greatly from Newey. For the third year in a row the car is not working, and the problems seem to continue for a while. Windsor would like to see Newey go to Ferrari. ‘What a team to be with next year. Adrian, Charles and Lewis,” Windsor sums up. He would do anything to be a fly on the wall at those meetings. “Even if I have to sweep the floor, I would do anything!” the journalist jokes.
Ferrari would offer a lot of money to free Newey sooner
Some doubt whether Newey will continue with his career. Retiring is also an option. “It looks like he’s either going to retire or go to Ferrari,” says Windsor. “I can’t imagine that Ferrari, with its financial resources, wouldn’t offer a huge amount of money to Red Bull to get Adrian out of his contract sooner.” However, Windsor doubts whether Red Bull would grant Ferrari that advantage. If Newey ends up at Ferrari in 2025, he would not be able to influence a car until 2026. That would be just before the rule changes, and perhaps that suits Ferrari very well. It remains to be seen what Newey will do.
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