Red Bull’s cunning plan to keep Newey (Update)
Earlier on Sunday, it was reported that the reigning champion team had devised a cunning plan to keep the highly sought-after engineer out of the clutches of its big-paying key rivals.
Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said Red Bull is building a new technology centre near its F1 factory in Milton-Keynes, where new and innovative technical projects will be born — with none other than Newey in charge.
Reportedly, the projects will range from innovative road cars to aircraft, "with the secret hope that someday he will miss competition and crawl back to F1", said correspondent Michael Schmidt.
Shortly after those reports emerged, Red Bull announced in Montreal that it has inked a new "multi-year agreement" with the Briton.
The team confirmed that Newey, 55, will work on "new Red Bull Technology projects", as well as "advising and mentoring" the F1 team "as it develops its formula one cars over the next few seasons".
"The details of the new projects will be announced in due course," a media statement added.
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| If this rumor is indeed true and Newey will be doing everything but designing the Red Bull F1 car then you might not see Sebastian Vettel stick around much longer |
06/08/14 (GMM) Red Bull has come up with a cunning plan to keep Adrian Newey out of the clutches of its key rivals, according to the German magazine Auto Motor und Sport.
In the past weeks, there have been reports of audacious offers to woo F1's most highly rated designer.
Ferrari's offer reportedly topped $20 million per year, while it was also rumored that Mercedes expressed interest.
"We made him no offer," team chairman Niki Lauda insists.
Nonetheless, Newey is understandably in high demand, given his astonishing title hit-rate.
But the 55-year-old is also unashamedly frustrated with the state of today's formula one, featuring ever-restrictive technical regulations.
"What you can do with the car to make the difference with good ideas is less and less," he said. "We're moving to more of a GP1 series."
According to correspondent Michael Schumidt, Red Bull has come up with a clever plan to keep Newey inspired, and also firmly under contract, albeit on a long leash.
The team is apparently planning to build a new technology centre near its F1 factory in Milton-Keynes, where new and innovative technical projects will be born — with none other than Newey in charge.
Reportedly, the projects will range from innovative road cars to aircraft, "with the secret hope that someday he will miss competition and crawl back to F1", said Schmidt.