04 May 2023 , 14:37
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Helmut Marko confirmed speculation that Adrian Newey has signed a contract extension to remain with Red Bull despite interest from elsewhere.
Newey has been with the team since 2006 and currently serves as technical chief. While he no longer has as much influence on the design of the Red Bull cars as once was the case, Newey remains an integral part of the team's hierarchy and one of Christian Horner's most trusted allies.
Earlier this week, Motorsport.com reported that Newey had been tied down to a new deal with his old contract due to expire at the end of this year. Red Bull would not confirm the news when contacted by Mirror Sport, though a spokesperson declared that the 64-year-old "will be with us for a long time".
Many have tried to poach Newey over the years, not least Ferrari who have attempted it multiple times. Recent reports indicated that the Scuderia had tried again recently, though the new contract will put an end to those rumours.
Alongside the chief technical officer and team principal Horner, Marko is a also part of the furniture at Red Bull. The Austrian, team adviser and head of its driver development programme, said Newey will be able to remain with the team until the end of his Formula 1 career.
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"The extension of the contract with Adrian Newey shows that we are continuing to build on continuity and that we have an extremely pleasant working atmosphere," the 80-year-old told Germany's Bild.
Helmut Marko (right) confirmed Adrian Newey's (centre) contract extension (PA)"Adrian has been with us for 17 years and although it is not a lifetime contract, he has always had and will continue to get attractive offers from the competition, I hope and am sure that he will retire with us."
Horner told Motorsport.com of Newey: "Adrian has been such a fundamental part since almost the beginning. He covers a lot of a lot of areas and, to have the depth of his experience and knowledge to draw upon, and the way he works with the young guys, it's great.
"He's just as motivated as he always been. Obviously, he has a great interest in what's going on in Powertrains, and Red Bull Advanced Technology as well. So, he covers the three pillars of the campus in Milton Keynes... We're able to use the breadth of his experience across the group."