F1 News: Former Champion Claims 'It Doesn't Get Better Than Winning With Ferrari' After Adrian Newey Exit Confirmed

Jacques Villeneuve points out the allure of working with Ferrari as Adrian Newey confirms his exit from Red Bull in 2025.

Oct 23, 2022; Austin, Texas, USA; Scuderia Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz (55) of Team Spain exits his / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Adrian Newey, the acclaimed designer who contributed to Red Bull Racing's success over two decades, has confirmed his departure from the team in early 2025. In reaction, former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve has predicted a move to Ferrari, stating that "it doesn’t get better than winning with Ferrari."

Newey's exit ends a spectacular 19-year tenure that reshaped Red Bull into a dominant force in the sport, claiming 13 World Championships and over 100 pole positions.

Villeneuve commented to Crypto Casino LTD:

"He’ll go wherever he gets the most freedom and he feels like he’ll get the most success without political issues. In terms of the excitement factor, then it doesn’t get better than winning with Ferrari as a driver, as an engineer or as a designer whereas winning with Aston Martin is just winning.

"Mercedes isn’t on the level of Ferrari. You can’t get to Ferrari’s level in what it means to win with them. Image and brand wise, there’s no bigger team than Ferrari. Winning with Mercedes, even though they’ve won so many championships recently, it doesn’t have the same value as winning with Ferrari.

"He’s said a few times that he’s going to take a step back but it’s never lasted very long. With modern regulations, there’s not as much room to be inventive as there was before. There’s nothing stopping him for going into a different project outside of F1 or motorsport. We make the mistake that there’s F1 and nothing else but that’s not the case."

There have been numerous rumors circulating that Newey has been in conversation with both Aston Martin and Ferrari, however, a future move for Newey has not been confirmed yet.

Adrian Newey himself reflected on his career with a touch of nostalgia and gratitude:

“Ever since I was a young boy, I wanted to be a designer of fast cars. My dream was to be an engineer in Formula One, and I’ve been lucky enough to make that dream a reality. 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. In the interim, the final stages of development of RB17 are upon us, so for the remainder of my time with the team my focus will lie there. I would like to thank the many amazing people I have worked with at Red Bull in our journey over the last 18 years for their talent, dedication, and hard work. It has been a real privilege, and I am confident that the engineering team are well prepared for the work going into the final evolution of the car under the four-year period of this regulation set.

"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."