New candidate seeking Newey's signature - report

A fresh candidate has joined the race to sign Adrian Newey when he departs Red Bull early next year. 

The reigning world champions confirmed prior to the Miami Grand Prix that its chief technical officer would be stepping back his immediate involvement in the F1 team before his ultimate departure in early 2025.

Plenty of speculation has arisen over his next career move with rumours suggesting that he has already received offers from Ferrari and Aston Martin.

Auto Motor und Sport now reports that Mercedes, too, has cautiously approached Newey. 

The Silver Arrows are enduring a challenging start to the season as it continues to struggle under the current set of technical regulations that were introduced in 2022. 

Newey could play a major role when it comes to the construction of the 2026 car as he can join a new team straight away after his Red Bull exit next year.

The 2026 F1 season will commence under another regulation change, and with Newey known for his successful innovations amid the alteration of rules, the Briton could prove pivotal to a team's competitive position.

However, the report does outline that Ferrari remains the favourite to sign Newey next year.

Newey detailed last year, long before rumblings of an exit from Red Bull surfaced, that he had regrets over not working with Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton during his career - two boxes he can tick off in 2025 should he join the Italian squad.

Talks between Newey and Ferrari are said to be in an advanced stage, but it seems Newey has still not made a final decision as he takes time to consider whether he wishes to continue in F1 at all.