RED BULL COULD FORCE THREE-YEAR ADRIAN NEWEY BAN IF F1 DESIGN LEGEND QUITS TEAM

Adrian Newey could be blocked from working in Formula 1 until 2027 if he follows through on his intention to leave Red Bull.

Newey has been a key cog in the Red Bull machine ever since Christian Horner convinced him to join in 2006. But it seems the 65-year-old has decided the time is right to bring that association to an end.

It is understood he has become disgruntled by Red Bull's behind-the-scenes power struggled and has told colleagues that he wants to leave. However, he is contracted to the team until the end of 2025, having penned fresh terms only last year.

And the world was reminded of that as the team issued a statement confirming that length of contract and denying that they had been officially informed of Newey's plan to walk away.

Motorsport.com reports Newey's situation is further complicated be the presence of non-compete clauses. Should Red Bull make him see out his deal, or allow him to leave early but then enforce that period of gardening leave, it could be 2027 before he can start work with another team.

It will be another year after that before that potential new employer can roll out a car that has been heavily influenced by Newey. By that time he would be closing in on his 70th birthday and will be thinking about retirement - if he hasn't already ended his glittering career by then.

But if he does want to continue, then there is likely to be no shortage of potential options for him. Every other leading team will surely be interested in bringing one of the masterminds behind Red Bull's dominance into the fold.

Only a few weeks ago, Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll extended a mega-money offer to convince Newey to join his project. The Silverstone-based squad has already recruited some high-profile engineers and aerodynamicists from several other top teams, including some of Newey's former Red Bull colleagues.

And Newey has said in the past that not working with Fernando Alonso is one of his great regrets in his F1 career. Whether or not the Spaniard will still be racing in 2027, however, remains to be seen - he will turn 46 that year.

Ferrari have tried on several occasions in the past to lure Newey to Maranello and could revive their interest. And Mercedes might be tempted to try to convince him to join given their struggles in recent times to produce a competitive car.

2024-04-26T10:27:11Z dg43tfdfdgfd