Olav Mol expressed his disbelief by exclaiming “bulls**t” in response to Zak Brown’s assertion that McLaren isn’t keen on securing the services of Adrian Newey, questioning which team would decline the opportunity to work with the renowned design maestro.
Ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, Red Bull made public the news that Newey would depart from the team in the early months of the following year, marking the end of his illustrious 19-year tenure as Red Bull’s chief designer.
During his time with the Milton Keynes outfit, Newey played a pivotal role in securing 12 titles, contributing significantly to both Drivers’ and Constructors’ championships, thereby amassing a remarkable tally of 25 titles overall.
Notably, his achievements span multiple teams, including McLaren, where he played a crucial part in the team’s last championship successes.
Newey’s legacy includes clinching the double championship with McLaren alongside Mika Hakkinen in 1998, a feat followed by retaining the Drivers’ Championship the subsequent season.
Despite his track record of delivering championship-winning cars across different teams such as Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull, McLaren’s CEO, Zak Brown, has stated that the team has no intentions of pursuing the 65-year-old designer.
In an interview with Sky Sports following Newey’s announcement, Brown affirmed McLaren’s current direction, stating, “Our plans are to keep doing what we are doing. I’m really happy with everything that Andrea Stella, the whole technical team are doing.”
Brown reiterated this stance on the Beyond the Grid Podcast, emphasizing, “We’re very happy with what we have. Obviously he’s the most successful designer of all time. It’s fascinating that he’s left, but let’s see what he does.”
Dutch pundit Mol has voiced his skepticism about McLaren’s stance on Adrian Newey’s potential recruitment.
“I think that’s such bullshit,” he expressed during an interview on Ziggo Sport’s Race Café.
“Are you sure you’re going to say no when he knocks on the door? What team would say if Newey knocked on the door, ‘No, don’t do that!’ That’s not going to happen.”
The speculation surrounding Newey’s future has been a topic of intense discussion since the announcement in Miami, with rumors suggesting Ferrari is at the forefront of the race to secure the services of the design maestro.
Reportedly, there has been at least one discussion between Newey and a representative from the Scuderia, with Sky’s Craig Slater suggesting that insiders believe it to be a “genuine” possibility.
However, Mol believes retirement is the most probable path for the “tired” designer. “He’s not going to Ferrari anyway, I’ll stick my hand up for that,” he added.
“I think he’s totally in the clear, if you see what he says. You can only take his word for it with Ferrari. He really isn’t going to Ferrari to be very busy again and travel around the world 24 weekends a year.”
When asked about the Ferrari rumors, Newey expressed his appreciation, stating that he feels “flattered” by Lewis Hamilton’s interest in working with him once he joins Ferrari in 2025. However, Newey clarified that, for the time being, he has no concrete plans for his future.
“I think Mandy, my wife, and the dogs, we’ll probably go traveling, we’ll probably get a motor-home or something, go down through France and just enjoy life,” he shared.
“And then maybe at some point, I don’t know when, I’ll be standing in the shower and say, ‘Right, this is going to be the next adventure’. But right now, there is no plan.”
