Newey sets final deadline for decision over F1 future as speculation rumbles on

Adrian Newey has offered another update regarding his future, with the legendary F1 designer admitting “I’ll need to have made my mind up” by the winter as to what he will do next.

It was announced back in May that Newey is to leave Red Bull in early 2025, having been part of the Milton Keynes team for almost two decades and played a key role in their 13 world titles to date.

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While the 65-year-old could opt for retirement, Newey has been linked to various teams in the months since the news dropped, with plenty showing an interest in his expertise and track record.

Newey also recently commented that after some rest he will “probably go again”, prompting a fresh wave of speculation within the F1 paddock as the 2024 season reaches its midway point.

While those rumours swirl, Newey is stepping back from F1 design duties to “focus on final development and delivery of Red Bull’s first hypercar, the hugely anticipated RB17”, as per Red Bull.

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Asked in an interview with Sky Sports this week about what’s next, Newey said: “I don’t know. At the moment, I’m just kind of still working on the RB17, our track car, and then just taking some time off.

“Last week actually we took seven days and lucky timing [with] the weather obviously, and went around the south coast with our dogs in an old Aston Martin DB6, and that was great fun.”

Pushed on whether a decision will be made by autumn or winter time, he added: “Yeah, that’s certainly the target. By then I’ll need to have made my mind up.”

READ MORE: Adrian Newey reveals he’s ‘seriously considering changing teams’ as he opens up on future F1 plans

Newey will be involved in the RB17 project – which is set to debut at the upcoming Goodwood Festival of Speed – until it is completed, while he is also set to attend specific F1 races to support Red Bull trackside to the end of the current campaign.