Jeremy Clarkson's tip for schoolmate Adrian Newey's next move

Jeremy Clarkson and Adrian Newey were at school together before their careers made them four-wheel legends.

Now the former Top Gear TV presenter has weighed in on the furore around Newey's next career move.

Newey will quit Red Bull, where he has worked for 19 years and overseen two championship-winning eras and designed multiple title-winning cars, in early-2025.

Ferrari are considered his likeliest destination but his old mate reckons he could be plotting something else.

"Ever since he announced he would be leaving his job as chief engineer at Red Bull Racing, everyone has been wondering which team Adrian Newey might join," Clarkson wrote for The Sun.

"It’s a big question. It was a Newey-designed car that took Nigel Mansell to the world championship in 1992 and Alain Prost in 1993.

"In the late Nineties, McLaren dominated using Newey’s cars, so it was obvious when he switched to Red Bull in 2006 what would happen next. And indeed it did.

"The simple fact of the matter is this. If Adrian Newey designed your car, there’s a very good chance you’ll win.

"So where will he go next? Some say he will join Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari. Others reckon he’ll end up with Max Verstappen at Mercedes.

"But there’s another possibility. Late last year, Newey started work on a new sailing boat.

"And as he’s now 65 years old, who knows?

"He might just decide to bugger off and spend the autumn of his years sailing round the world on that."

It is no secret that Newey has passions outside of Formula 1.

He is currently building a yacht which he hopes will sail around the world.

And, for the rest of this year, will remain involved in the RB17 hypercar project.

The idea that Newey could simply sail off into the distance rather than embark on designing the new era of F1 cars under the 2026 regulations will be a hammer blow to prospective new employers who will see him as the key to their championship hopes.