Adrian Newey’s exit ‘seismic’ for Red Bull as Lewis Hamilton tie-up pondered

Adrian Newey’s departure from Red Bull will have a “seismic” impact on the reigning F1 world champions, according to David Croft.

Red Bull confirmed ahead of this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix that Newey, regarded as the greatest designer in the history of F1, will be leaving the team in “early 2025”.

The 65-year-old has played a role in all of Red Bull’s F1 wins and championships since joining the team in 2006.

Red Bull have said that Newey will step back from his day-to-day F1 design duties with immediate effect.

"It's huge, seismic for so many reasons,” F1 commentator Croft told Sky Sports News as he reacted to the announcement. 

“Not only is Adrian Newey on the market for 2026 and the big regulation change but he also leaves Red Bull and their F1 project with immediate effect, so it's a double whammy for all the teams.

"Some may have the resources and persuasive powers to try and tempt the greatest car designer F1 has ever known, but even others that don't, now know he's not part of the Red Bull stable.

“The work that Adrian Newey has been doing to make Red Bull such a dominant force, certainly over the last couple of years and in his time there, that will now stop.

"The immediate response from every other team will be 'good, he's gone. He's left Red Bull and it might give us a chance to catch up’."

Ferrari are favourites to sign Newey, with Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport reporting on Wednesday that he had met with Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur in London to discuss a possible move.

And Croft believes a switch to Ferrari - who Newey has turned down at least three times in the past - and teaming up with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, would be a “romantic story”.

"There will be some that try to tempt Newey to come to them - Ferrari, who have made offers to sign Newey in the past which he's turned down, and Aston Martin who we understand to have made a very bold bid and a very sizeable sum of money to tempt Adrian to go to their factory at Silverstone and link up with their Group CEO Martin Whitmarsh, who Newey worked with in his McLaren days,” Croft added.

"It's a huge, huge story. As much as Red Bull try to downplay it and that Newey is just one person and one person doesn't make the final difference, in Newey's case it does.

"His record, the championships he's won and the cars he's designed over the years that have won over 200 Grands Prix, shows just what a force he is.

"I think we are all a bit romantic at heart but this could be the most romantic story that Lewis Hamilton's ever had in his career, if Adrian Newey is to go and join the seven-time world champion at Ferrari.

"What a force that would be. Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Newey at Maranello to try and bring back the glory days for Ferrari and to try and help Hamilton to an eighth world title and maybe Leclerc to a first."