The BBC report that broke the news of Adrian Newey leaving Red Bull cited the internal power struggle, catalyzed by the Christian Horner saga, as being the single biggest motivator for the 65-year-old in taking this decision. Now, that Red Bull have themselves confirmed the news, Williams’ team principal James Vowles looks to capitalize on the situation by trying his best to entice the British engineer to return to Grove.
During the Team Principal’s press conference at the Miami GP, Vowles seemingly took a dig at Red Bull when he said that his Williams outfit was a side without any politics. Vowles was responding to a question referring to supposed talks that took place between the former Mercedes man and Newey.
Vowles said (as quoted by Formula1.com), “From a Williams perspective, obviously, that’s where Adrian really cut his teeth for the first time. And I think we’re a team without politics.” Vowles also highlighted the fact that it was Williams where Newey’s championship-winning record began.
The 65-year-old won five Constructors’ championships and four Driver’s titles between 1991 and 1997 with Williams. Meanwhile, several rumors have also linked Newey to Williams recently.
However, many experts and paddock insiders have ruled out such a move. Despite this, Vowles is keen on trying his luck to lure Newey back to his old stomping grounds.
The 44-year-old also hinted at another reason why Williams would be the perfect choice for Newey. Calling his side “a small team that’s trying to make our way back to the front,” Vowles has tabled a tantalizing prospect before F1’s technical maestro.
Adrian Newey challenged by James Vowles to bring Williams back to glory
As things stand, Ferrari looks like the most likely destination for Adrian Newey. Ferrari has tried to poach the Briton away on three separate occasions in the past.
But with Lewis Hamilton set to join the team next year, the British engineer has the chance of making an iconic alliance come true in F1. That being said, Vowles explained how Newey could be enticed by the challenge of making Williams return to their glory days rather than take the easy way out with an OEM team like Ferrari.
He explained, “We’re not driven by an OEM. We’re driven by just a group of individuals that want to be there. And it’s all about really racing. And hopefully, some of that plays to his strengths.”
Williams might be able to convince Newey to ditch the idea of going to Ferrari for another important reason. Newey had refused a move to Maranello earlier as he cited his unwillingness to relocate from the UK. This could be a reason why Newey might even consider moving to Williams since the team are from the UK.
