In addition to Lando Norris achieving his first victory in Formula 1 at the 2024 Miami Grand Prix, the major news from the recent weekend in the sport was the departure of Newey from Red Bull after 19 years with the team.
Although there have been ongoing rumors connecting the renowned F1 designer to Ferrari, no official announcement has been made by Maranello.
Earlier in 2024, Ferrari made the groundbreaking move of signing Hamilton to race for them in 2025, and during the Miami weekend, the seven-time F1 Champion was asked about the possibility of working with Newey at Ferrari.
Hamilton acknowledged that Newey is at the top of his list of people he would like to collaborate with, expressing that the Briton would be a valuable addition to Ferrari. When asked if the partnership would materialize, Hamilton responded with a wide smile, saying, “I don’t know. We’ll see.”
During an interview with Sky Sports F1 in Miami, Newey was questioned about Hamilton’s statement. He graciously replied, “It’s very generous of Lewis to say that. I’m deeply flattered. However, at the moment, I plan to take a short break and assess what the future holds.”
Reports have indicated that Newey’s legal team negotiated his early release from Red Bull, and the team confirmed that he would be departing in early 2025. They clarified that he would be stepping away from F1 responsibilities to focus on Red Bull’s road hypercar project, the RB17.
While there is no mention of a gardening leave, it is possible that Newey could join another F1 team in time to contribute to the development of the completely revamped 2026 F1 cars, which will include changes to the power unit and chassis.
The design genius expressed his enthusiasm for the “ground effect” rules that were implemented in 2022, an era in which he excelled with the cars he designed for Red Bull, who have dominated the sport since 2022 and continue to perform strongly in 2024.
“I truly enjoy regulation changes,” Newey remarked. “The current set of regulations is the most significant change we’ve seen since 1983 when flat bottom cars were introduced. I have relished the challenge of conducting extensive research and meticulously designing the RB18 car.”
“The subsequent two cars, the RB19 and RB20, are evolutions of that initial design, and next year’s car [2025] will be the third evolution. It has been a fantastic series, one that has surprised me with the depth and complexity of these cars,” he admitted.
While the world eagerly awaits Newey’s next move, he maintains that he currently has “no plan.” He intends to take a step back, take a break, and reflect on his life before making any decisions.