Newey makes position clear ahead of crucial F1 future decision

Adrian Newey is to keep potential future employers waiting as he has stated he will not be rushed into making a decision over his future in F1. That future has been the source of speculation since it was announced at the start of May he would be leaving his role as chief technical officer at Red Bull in the first quarter of next year. The early suspicion was Newey would be heading to Ferrari, joining forces with Lewis Hamilton when the seven-time F1 champion heads to the Scuderia at the end of this year after 12 seasons with Mercedes. It is understood, however, Newey has no intention of moving to Italy, nor is Ferrari willing to take him on board as a consultant, a position the 65-year-old apparently favours. Most recently, Aston Martin has emerged as the frontrunner, with talks taking place between both parties, whilst McLaren, the team Newey previously worked with from 1997-2005, is also believed to have expressed an interest. Newey, though, has made it clear he is in no hurry to make a call. Speaking to The Sunday Times Magazine, Newey said: "It wasn’t a big surprise when other teams showed an interest after I announced I was leaving. "But I won’t make a quick decision about my future. I need a break to work out if I want to have another go in F1. I also didn’t want to risk going stale. "I don’t know what my future holds, but instead of dashing around the world to grand prix races this summer, I’ll be able to see my family."

Newey has, however, seemingly indicated a desire to continue given his lifelong passion for sport. "After decades working in Formula 1 I’ve become used to the non-stop pressure," he said. "If you’re not winning you’re trying to understand why, and if you are winning you are trying to stay there. "That’s a relentless schedule but motorsport has always been in my blood." And then there is a hint as to where he may end up, with Ferrari potentially not out of the running, as well as Aston Martin. "There are some drivers, like Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, who I would have loved to work with," he said. "But so far it has not been the right place or time in terms of us coming together."