One attractive option for Adrian Newey has been emphatically ruled out

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has ruled out a sensational swoop for Red Bull F1 design guru Adrian Newey.

Since his departure from Red Bull was announced ahead of the Miami Grand Prix earlier this year, Newey has been linked with a host of teams.

Newey has reportedly been in talks with Aston Martin and Ferrari, while a return to McLaren was also mooted given his close friendship with Brown.

The F1 designer will leave Red Bull in the first quarter of 2025 - with the identity of his new team still unclear.

In an interview with the BBC, Brown confirmed that Newey won’t be returning to Woking in 2025.

“We're not going to sign Adrian,” Brown said. "I'm very happy with the team. Adrian is a great friend, huge talent, resume second to none.

“But with what we have in place here, I couldn't be happier. We can get the job done.

“I'm happy with the race team we have and we're going to try to win the world championship with the team sitting here today.”

Brown’s trust in his current design team is unsurprising given McLaren’s remarkable resurgence in the last 18 months.

McLaren have gone from the back of the grid to becoming the favourites to take this year’s constructors’ championship.

Looking ahead to the title battle, Brown added: “It's gonna be a slug-fest. I think it's gonna be a slug-fest between all four teams [Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari].

“You're gonna see epic battles. Eight drivers that can show up at almost any track and win, and it's gonna be exciting.”