'Two F1 teams can certainly afford Newey, but he is only considering one'

As recently as 2023, Newey signed a contract extension at Red Bull, but the situation within the team has since changed dramatically. Red Bull's chief technical officer is said to have had it completely with the power struggle going on between team boss Christian Horner and top advisor Helmut Marko. This is said to have partly led to his intention to leave Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez 's team early.

The BBC calls Newey's decision "one of the most seismic events to happen in Formula 1 for a long time." Not only because it says a lot about the internal turmoil within the team, but also because of the impact it is likely to have on the team he is leaving and the team he is going to.

'Newey only considering Ferrari'

"Newey is rightly regarded as the greatest F1 designer in history," writes BBC reporter Andrew Benson. "Even if he is not full-time on F1 these days, he will have a huge impact on any team he joins, and losing cannot but hurt the one he leaves. You can see the effect his setting the concept of the latest generation of Red Bulls has had on them.."

The BBC say they can confirm what has already been reported: both Ferrari and Aston Martin are said to have made Newey an offer. However, he would only consider one of these teams. "He has been made offers by Ferrari and Aston Martin. I’m told by sources close to him that he is seriously considering Ferrari but is not interested in going to Aston Martin," Benson said.

He added that the possibility of another team bringing him in cannot be ruled out, as not every team can afford to pay the designer. McLaren and Mercedes can, however, and a move to one of those teams would be easier for the British-based Newey. Still, Ferrari's appeal might ultimately be decisive.