Adrian Newey lawyer negotiating Red Bull exit; non-compete clause may vanish

Adrian Newey’s lawyers are reportedly negotiating his departure from Red Bull.

The terms of his exit would permit a quicker than expected return if he takes a job with a rival F1 team, BBC reports.

Newey’s lawyers are trying to negotiate a deal with Red Bull which would allow him to start work elsewhere next year, if he so chooses.

The split between Red Bull and Newey is expected to be confirmed before this weekend’s F1 Miami Grand Prix.

“We don’t have any comment at this time,” Red Bull said.

Newey’s contract as Red Bull’s chief technical officer runs until the end of 2025 but, as is typical with many high-profile individuals within Formula 1, it includes a ‘non-compete clause’.

That clause prohibits Newey from joining a rival F1 team for 12 months.

He would, therefore, not be available to the likes of Ferrari, Mercedes or Aston Martin until the 2027 season which is one year into the new regulations.

However, Newey’s lawyers are busy at work negotiating an exit from Red Bull which would allow him to take a new job next year, the BBC report.

Starting work at another team in 2025 would give Newey time to begin work on their 2026 car, the first car under the new regulations.

The new engine and chassis rules for 2026 could realign the playing field so whoever recruits Newey, the car design genius, has a massive advantage over their rivals.

Aston Martin and Ferrari, in particular, are known admirers but Newey’s next move is unclear.

It is unlikely that Newey’s departure from Red Bull will be confirmed until Thursday at the earliest.

Wednesday May 1 is the 30 year anniversary of Ayrton Senna’s death, so the F1 world will want to pause to respect his memory.

Senna died after a crash at the F1 San Marino Grand Prix in 1994 in a Williams which Newey designed.

Newey has had massive success at Red Bull, and is behind the machinery which gave four F1 titles to Sebastian Vettel, and the cars which Max Verstappen drove to his three championships in a row. The RB20 this year looks set to deliver a fourth for Verstappen.

But off-track Newey has reportedly become disillusioned with the chaos surrounding the team, including Christian Horner’s controversy.