Mercedes F1 Passed on Adrian Newey Bid, Toto Wolff Says

Four years ago, Mercedes was the most dominant force in Formula 1 auto racing.

The team's deep pockets and desire to get back to title-winning ways made it a possible landing spot for legendary Red Bull designer Adrian Newey—but rival Aston Martin ultimately was the one to sign Newey, in a big-money deal announced last week. That deal, team principal Toto Wolff said, came after Mercedes chose to pass on a bid for the icon's services.

As Wolff told Racer, he and technical director James Allison considered taking a shot at hiring Newey before ultimately deciding to stick with their existing staff. Wolff said that the two made the choice because "the structure that [Mercedes has] today is the one that [Wolff and Allison] have faith in" — a faith that has been rewarded with three wins this summer. Now, the team's existing staff will try to build on that momentum as it heads into a 2025 season without Lewis Hamilton, as the legendary driver heads to Ferrari.

The decision not to shake up the program comes after Mercedes failed to win a single race in 2023. Red Bull, meanwhile, won 21 of 22 races with a Newey-designed car. 2024 has proven to be a much more balanced season, with Red Bull claiming victory just seven times and not taking a win since the Spanish Grand Prix in June. Ferrari—another would-be Newey suitor that ultimately did not hire the designer—has three wins of their own, and could possibly pass Red Bull for second in the season-long constructor's standings.

Newey's future home at Aston Martin, notably, is not among the four teams with a win this season. The team sits a distant fifth in the constructor's standings, 227 points behind Mercedes. Lawrence Stroll's team has not won since it was called Racing Point in 2020; the Aston Martin brand has only ever seen success in Formula 1 as a sponsor of Red Bull. Newey, who designed the Valkyrie road car for the brand, will be tasked with changing that quickly.