Miami [US], May 4 : The renowned designer Adrian Newey revealed when he began to consider leaving Red Bull and admitted he was "very flattered" by Lewis Hamilton's remarks about the legendary designer possibly working with him at Ferrari the following season.
This week, it was revealed that renowned designer Newey, who has worked with Red Bull for nearly 20 years and has won six constructor titles and seven driver titles to date, will be leaving the team in the first quarter of 2025.
Prior to being permitted to depart early in the upcoming year, he will concentrate on other initiatives. Hamilton, who is switching teams to Ferrari for the upcoming campaign, stated on Thursday that he find it "amazing" if the Italian club could sign Newey.
"F1 is all-consuming. I've been at it for a long time now. 2021 was a really busy year because of the tight battle with Mercedes, through the championship and at the same time, putting all the research into the RB18 [the 2022 car]. There comes a point where I just felt, as Forrest Gump said, 'I'm feeling a little bit tired.' It's very kind of Lewis to say that. I'm very flattered. At the moment, it's just take a bit of a break and see what happens next," Newey said as quoted by Sky Sports.
Newey said he had been pondering over the decision for a "little while now."
Asked how long he had been pondering over his future at the team, Newey said, "A little while now. I guess over the winter a little bit. Then as events have unfolded this year, I thought, I'm in very lucky position where I don't need to work to live. I work because I enjoy it. I just felt now is a good time to step back a bit, take a break and take stock of life."
"I think with Mandy, my wife, and the dogs, we'll probably go travelling, get a motorhome or something and go down through France and just enjoy life. Then maybe at some point, I don't know when, I'll say, 'right, this is going to be the next adventure'. But right now there is no plan," he added.
When asked why he had chosen to quit now, when the team was performing so well, Newey cited the difficulties encountered in 2021, a season in which the team competed fiercely with Mercedes for the championship while also getting ready for the implementation of new technical regulations in 2022.
"Formula 1's all-consuming - I've been at it for a long time now. 2021 was a really busy year because of the tight battle with Mercedes through the championship and, at the same time, putting all the research and development into the [RB]18, which was the father of this generation of cars. There comes a point I think where I just felt, as Forrest Gump said, 'a little bit tired,'" he reflected.
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