Adrian Newey revealed he first decided to leave Red Bull in April at the Japanese Grand Prix.

The 65-year-old will leave the Milton Keynes-based team in early 2025 to join Aston Martin, with the highly anticipated news announced earlier today.

Newey, who has been hugely impressed with Aston Martin and owner Lawrence Stroll’s ambitions for the team, explained that he knew he wanted to continue playing in F1 in the summer, when he was linked with the Silverstone team – and Ferrari.

“When I decided to stop at Red Bull, actually at the weekend in Suzuka in April, [I] didn’t really know what was going to happen next,” Newey said.

“[I] just wanted to clear my head, think it over, have a little break and hopefully, standing in the bathroom somewhere, a lightbulb would go off: ‘Yes, this is the way to go’.

“And Amanda [Newey’s wife] was also a big part of our discussions and what we should do.

“I think she was worried that I might drive her crazy if I stayed at home too much!

“By the end of June, I definitely felt: actually, you know, being involved as a designer in racing has been a dampener on my ambitions since I was about 10. I’ve been lucky enough to get there.”

‘What is the pinnacle of man and machine?’
Newey has enjoyed unprecedented success in his F1 career. The Briton has won a total of 25 world titles across his time with Williams, McLaren and Red Bull.

However, that hasn’t dampened his drive to enjoy the “challenge” of improving the performance of F1 cars – a key factor in his desire to maintain “the pinnacle of man and machine”.

“I think it would be an exaggeration to say I’ve enjoyed every day of my career, but over 90 per cent of it has been incredibly enjoyable,” Newey added.

“I still enjoy the challenge of improving the performance of the car – that’s my main motivation. That’s what gets me out of bed in the morning…

“So I think I’ve made the right choice in terms of my aspirations… to work in this sport between man and machine. And then if you say: ‘Okay, what’s the pinnacle of man and machine?’ Obviously, it’s Formula 1.

“Yes, I’m still interested in the America’s Cup. I’m still interested in many other things, but if I’m going to work with people and machines, I might as well stay at the top as long as people want me.”