Toto Wolff, the Austrian team boss, has expressed interest in adding Adrian Newey to his Mercedes team. However, he immediately raises two caveats regarding the potential appointment of the British top designer. According to Wolff, Mercedes is not currently waiting for a ‘Messiah’.
In May, it was revealed that Red Bull’s top designer, Adrian Newey, will leave Red Bull in 2025. The Brit has not yet disclosed what he plans to do after his departure from the Austrian racing stable, leading to speculation linking Newey with various racing stables. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff also stated that he would certainly not turn Newey away if the engineer wanted to join Mercedes.
“I think no team would turn Adrian away, but he must fit into the organization and he must want it,” Wolff set as two conditions for a potential appointment of Newey.
Mercedes Team’s Recent Success and Future Plans
The Mercedes team has been on the rise recently, with the highlight being George Russell’s victory in Austria. During the qualification of his home race, Russell also managed to secure the pole position, closely followed by Lewis Hamilton at P2. This suggests that Mercedes’ challenging times may be temporarily behind them. Wolff, therefore, states that his team is not currently looking for a ‘savior’ in the form of Newey. “I think you always have to look at opportunities, but it’s not like we’re waiting for a Messiah today,” explains the Austrian.
Wolff’s Discontent with 2026 Plans
Where Mercedes could use a Messiah, however, is in the development of the 2026 car. The new Formula 1 regulation will come into effect in 2026, and Wolff is not yet enthusiastic about the plans for this regulation. “The current regulation does not look particularly great,” claimed Wolff, “but it is a work in progress.” The team boss hopes that the FIA is still willing to negotiate to make Formula 1 more exciting from 2026 onwards.
