Former Red Bull driver rules out two teams as Adrian Newey's next possible destination

David Coulthard has revealed that Ferrari and McLaren are not the possible destinations for the celebrated aerodynamicist Adrian Newey. Coulthard stated this on a recent episode of the "Formula For Success" podcast where he was accompanied by Newey's manager Eddie Jordan.

In May this year, Red Bull announced that Newey would leave the Austrian team in early 2025 after a 19-year-long association. Rivals quickly scrambled to secure his services. Teams such as Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Aston Martin have all been speculated as his next destination.

"Well, he’s [Adrian Newey] not going to Ferrari. Because a very senior source has said no," Coulthard said. "He’s not going to McLaren. Unless it is linked to road cars, why would you bring Adrian into something that is working right now? McLaren has found a tread of development."

The former Red Bull driver took McLaren's current situation into account. Zak Brown's team has developed massively since mid-2023 and has now become a strong challenger for the Constructors' Championship. The Papayas currently have the fastest cars on the grid and have hauled the most points in the last few races.

Ferrari, on the other hand, has its reasons to woo Newey - a rollercoaster ride in terms of performance. The Prancing Horse started the season as the second favorite but their downward trajectory has put them in fourth behind Red Bull, McLaren and Mercedes.

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Is Adrian Newey joining Aston Martin?

Eddie Jordan, however, a former team owner and Adrian Newey's manager, ruled out David Coulthard's prediction about McLaren and Ferrari. Even though he did not confirm Newey's stance, he simply stated that Coulthard's statement was "inaccurate" and "fanciful."

Adrian Newey, the Chief Technical Officer of Oracle Red Bull Racing, poses for a photo with the newly unveiled Red Bull RB17 hypercar during Day Two of the Goodwood Festival of Speed at Goodwood on July 12, 2024, in Chichester, England. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Despite that, if Coulthard's prediction is correct, Aston Martin could come up as the primary contender for Newey. Lawrence Stroll's team has tried to secure the services of the aero-wizard on more than one occasion and given their current run of form, they need him more than McLaren or Ferrari. Coulthard further said on the aforementioned podcast:

"The fact that Adrian has decided that his long-term future is no longer with Red Bull is as fanciful as when you [Newey’s manager] get off the fence and announce where you have managed to batter the best deal for Adrian. So when you eventually announce to us all that Adrian is going to Aston Martin, do we suddenly think their performance is going to gain half a second? Of course not."

Snubbing the former Red Bull driver's claim, Jordan said:

"First of all, I must say David you have made a statement which you don’t often do because you don’t come off the fence, and you’ve made a position as to where Adrian may or may not be going and I would say to you, I cannot believe that what you said is currently in a situation when you can justifiably say that as fact."

In a nutshell, Newey's next destination is still speculative after David Coulthard's revelation and Eddie Jordan's denial.