The departure of Arian Newye left every F1 fan in awe. The most celebrated Aerodynamicist in F1 history is ready to leave Red Bull after 19 years. The 65-year-old Briton helped the team build a dynamic structure from scratch. He was the main protagonist in their thirteen world championship triumphs. However, the growing power struggle at Milton Keynes fueled his exit.
Moreover, the aero wizard felt undervalued by the team and had some differences with the team principal, Christian Horner. Thus, it all contributed to his decision to leave the setup. Mercedes’s astute team boss, Toto Wolff, has been observing the Red Bull mayhem. He wants to leverage the situation by signing Max Verstappen and Adrian Newey.
‘Beaten By A Customer Is Depressing,’ Damon Hill Takes A Jibe At Mercedes
The biggest speculation has been Adrian Newey’s future team. While teams like Ferrari, McLaren, and Williams are the front runners, reports revealed Scuderia offered a contract to Newey. However, Mercedes, struggling with its aerodynamic woes, is interested in signing the veteran technical head. James Allison, Mercedes’s technical head, praised Adrian Newey’s career as he designed 12 championship-winning cars. Furthermore, he did not confirm any discussions between the team and Newey but mentioned that every squad would like to capitalize on his expertise.
Earlier, Paddy Lowe, who worked for the Brackley-based squad from 2013 to 2017, evaluated the issue. He believes the crew overlooked some important aerodynamic concepts. In an interview with Motorsports.com, Lowe thinks that F1 is more than just skill; fortune also plays a factor. As a result, even after fitting all of the pieces together, the outcomes are far from realistic. He said that Mercedes’ technical crew took a ‘wrong turn,’ landing them in a puddle. As a result, the Mercedes team has found itself trailing behind its customer, McLaren. Former F1 driver Damon Hill had a harsh opinion on this situation. Hill said getting ‘beaten by customers is depressing,’ highlighting the Silver Arrows’ string of below-par performances. McLaren receives power units from Mercedes and is 75 points ahead of the German team.
2026 Regulation Changes Could Propel Mercedes Back to Glory
Despite constant criticism, Mercedes remains optimistic. The FIA is poised to unveil new power unit and chassis regulations for the 2026 seasons, and Allison believes these changes could alter their squad’s fortunes. Further, Allison compared the change with the 2014 regulation change.
Notably, Mercedes dominated the grid in the hybrid era from 2014 onwards. The technical head was with Ferrari then, but he witnessed the team’s impeccable performance. Moreover, Allison assured that Mercedes has the best HPP (High-Performance Powertrains) to propel them to success in 2026.