Adrian Newey does not have to serve gardening leave after Red Bull exit - Reports

Red Bull has confirmed that their Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey will leave the team in the first half of the 2025 season.

The reports of the aero wizard's departure from the reigning world champions were array for the past week as it was claimed that the 65-year-old was discontent with the team.

With his exit, Newey would stop his F1 duties with the Austrian outfit and focus on the final phase of the hypercar RB17 project, before he leaves them next year.

However, as reported by The Athletic, the Brit won't have a gardening leave after he exits Red Bull in the first quarter of next year and would be a free agent to join other teams on the grid.

His stature and status have already piqued interest from several teams, such as Ferrari, Mercedes, and Aston Martin, with the Prancing Horses actively pursuing Newey to join them next year. It was earlier rumored that he had already rejected a big money offer from Aston Martin.

In his statement on Red Bull's official website, Adrian Newey said:

"For almost two decades it has been my great honor to have played a key role in Red Bull Racing’s progress from upstart newcomer to multiple title-winning Team. However, I feel now is an opportune moment to hand that baton over to others and to seek new challenges for myself."

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Adrian Newey extends his gratitude to the Red Bull family after his departure announcement

Adrian Newey stated that he was 'thankful' to the Red Bull family including team principal Christian Horner, whom he termed as 'his business partner and friend' following the announcement of his departure from the team.

The iconic engineer said (via the aforementioned source):

"On a personal note, I would also like to thank the shareholders, the late Dietrich Mateschitz, Mark Mateschitz, and Chalerm Yoovidhya for their unwavering support during my time at Red Bull, and Christian, who has not only been my business partner but also a friend of our respective families. Also, thanks to Oliver Mintzlaff for his stewardship and Eddie Jordan, my close friend and manager."

Horner too paid tribute to Newey and added:

"He is also my friend and someone I will be eternally grateful to for everything he brought to our partnership. The legacy he leaves behind will echo through the halls of Milton Keynes and RB17 Track Car will be a fitting testament and legacy to his time with us.”

Adrian Newey will be present at the Miami GP this weekend and it is unclear if he will interact with the media after his announcement.