07 May 2024 , 10:55
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Fred Vasseur has dropped a hint that Ferrari could be holding talks with Adrian Newey after it was announced the legendary designer will be leaving Red Bull.
Newey has decided to quit Red Bull after almost 20 years and is set to officially depart "in the first quarter of 2025". In the meantime, the 65-year-old is to take a step back from his Formula One duties, but will continue to work on Red Bull's RB17 Hypercar project "until its completion".
It was reported last week that Newey held a meeting with a Ferrari representative and it's understood he is most interested in a move to Scuderia, despite a lucrative offer from Aston Martin. It has fuelled rumours about Newey moving to Ferrari - and Vasseur has since provided a subtle hint surrounding the topic.
Speaking after the Miami Grand Prix, the Ferrari team principal was keen to point out that Newey is going to have offers from multiple teams, including the likes of Mercedes. He said: "Many people from all the teams are having interviews in Maranello! Not just from Mercedes."
Newey announced his shock departure last week. In an emotional statement, he said: "Ever since I was a young boy, I wanted to be a designer of fast cars. My dream was to be an engineer in Formula 1, and I've been lucky enough to make that dream a reality.
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"For almost two decades it has been my great honour to have played a key role in Red Bull Racing's progress from upstart newcomer to multiple title-winning team. However, I feel now is an opportune moment to hand that baton over to others and to seek new challenges for myself.
"In the interim, the final stages of development of RB17 are upon us, so for the remainder of my time with the team my focus will lie there. I would like to thank the many amazing people I have worked with at Red Bull in our journey over the last 18 years for their talent, dedication and hard work.
Adrian Newey is set to leave Red Bull (Formula 1 via Getty Images)"It has been a real privilege, and I am confident that the engineering team are well prepared for the work going into the final evolution of the car under the four-year period of this regulation set."
Newey and Vasseur witnessed Lando Norris storm to victory in Miami over the weekend. Despite it being the first win McLaren have enjoyed since Daniel Ricciardo in Monza in May 2021, Vasseur, who was pictured joining in with the post-race celebrations, is not surprised by their success.
"I'm not surprised," Vasseur said. "They were already there on Friday and this weekend they brought other updates. However, they were also strong in the other races, in China they had a good pace.
"It will be like this until the end of the season. Probably we and McLaren have become closer to Red Bull. It becomes a question of position on the track, because when you play by one or two tenths, overtaking is very difficult."