Adrian Newey starts work at Aston Martin in March (Image: Getty Images for Aston Martin)
, the renowned Formula 1 car designer, has opened up about his decision to leave , stating that he needed to remain “true to myself”.
The 66-year-old’s announced last year that he intended to part ways with the team he had significantly contributed to since 2006 sent shockwaves through the sport and triggered a scramble for his expertise.
Despite interest from and Williams, Newey turned them down in favour of a lucrative deal with , which also includes profit participation. He is set to commence his new role in March.
Reflecting on his departure from , Newey confessed that even a year ago, the idea of leaving would have seemed “crazy”. While he refrained from divulging specific reasons behind his exit, he expressed that he felt compelled to move on.
Speaking to Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, he said: “I think if you’d said to me 12 months ago, would I be leaving and then now, ultimately starting again, I’d have said, ‘No, you’re crazy’.”
He added, “But for various reasons, I felt I wouldn’t be true to myself if I stayed at . So the first difficult decision was exactly that, do I stay or not at ?
Adrian Newey decided to leave Red Bull (Image: Getty Images)
“So obviously, I came to the conclusion that in being honest to myself, I couldn’t. And then, having made that decision, it was then what to do next? And with my wife, Mandy, we discussed various things. One was, obviously, I’m in the lucky position that I don’t need to work financially.”
He pondered a range of options from retirement to embarking on new ventures such as the Americas Cup or joining an OEM for road cars, but ultimately felt compelled to stay within the racing sphere if he continued working.
Newey acknowledged that stepping away from the fast-paced world of F1 and enjoying a leisurely life was a real possibility, given his substantial wealth and the lucrative offer from Lawrence Stroll to join Aston Martin. However, despite the allure of a relaxed lifestyle, Newey confessed that the idea of retiring never fully resonated with him.
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“I feel incredibly lucky to have had that position where I kind of enjoyed my waking day, which, after all, let’s say that your waking hours are 16 hours, then you should probably spend at least eight to 10, if not more, at work.
“So a big percentage of your waking life. And so to enjoy that is very lucky. So a long way of saying I really came to the conclusion that actually I did want to carry on working, that I’d get bored doing nothing. And so if I was going to work, then why not continue doing what I’ve always wanted to do and have enjoyed doing?”
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