James Vowles, the team boss of Williams, confirmed on Friday in Miami that he has been in talks with designer Adrian Newey and is keen to secure him. It was announced on Wednesday that Newey will be leaving Red Bull prematurely in early 2025. In Miami, he was still at the pit wall during the first free training, next to team boss Christian Horner.
The future of 65-year-old Newey is currently unknown, but it’s clear that he’s not short of interest. Previously, the names of Aston Martin, Mercedes, and Ferrari were prominently mentioned. These teams are reportedly willing to dig deep into their pockets. Now, Williams has also joined the battle for Newey’s signature.
‘It would be negligent not to talk to him’
“I’ve known Adrian for a while and I spoke to him on Friday. I’m sure we’ll be talking to him again soon,” Vowles told British Autosport. “He’s an icon of our sport. There’s no doubt about that. Every team he’s been with since Williams has been championship material. And that’s no coincidence, that’s just the effect he has on the sport. It would be negligent of me not to talk to him. It’s as simple as that.”
Newey previously worked for Williams in 1991 and helped design the FW14B, which Nigel Mansell used to become world champion in 1992. Newey’s cars also won world titles in 1993, 1996, and 1997. Newey then moved to McLaren, where he achieved even more success, before switching to Red Bull in 2006. At Max Verstappen’s current team, he played a significant role in a total of thirteen world championships.
Vowles emphasized in the run-up to the Miami GP that his initial conversations with Newey were only ‘very light’. “But still, are we in conversation? Yes. Very light conversations. But would it be a dream team? Yes!”
