Revealed: The massive pay-packet Adrian Newey will leave behind at Red Bull
Will Adrian Newey's huge wages be matched at a rival F1 team?
Adrian Newey will leave a huge amount of money on the table, if his Red Bull exit is confirmed.
Newey’s salary is “conservatively estimated to be £10million a year”, according to the Daily Mail but they insist his earnings will even exceed that figure.
He signed his most recent deal with Red Bull ahead of the 2020 F1 season.
At the time, he was heavily linked to Ferrari but a bumper new deal convinced him to stay with Red Bull.
Four years later, it seems the car designer extraordinaire is set to exit.
Red Bull have delivered a reminder that he is contracted until “at least” the end of 2025, hinting at clauses which may tie him to the team for longer.
Reportedly, Newey must face a long period of gardening leave if he chooses to leave.
That could stop him from joining an F1 rival team until 2027 - which is one year into the new regulations, which begin in 2026.
For a car designer, that complicates his entry into a new project.
Newey could negotiate different terms for his exit from Red Bull.
That may come with a financial penalty to their chief technical officer.
A rival F1 team who wants to bring Newey in (before 2027) could even opt to buy out his contract, if Red Bull are willing to play ball.
Newey, aged 65, will be of interest to Ferrari, Mercedes and Aston Martin.
All three manufacturers have the deep pockets required to tempt Newey.
Ferrari have already shelled out massively to bring in Lewis Hamilton but their new title sponsor, Hewlett-Packard, gives them extra financial firepower.
Mercedes, who will save Hamilton’s big wages when he leaves next year, could opt to reinvest in Newey.
Aston Martin are bankrolled by billionaire Lawrence Stroll who has already reportedly tried to bring Newey to his Silverstone-based team.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
