F1 revolution could tempt Adrian Newey back - Christian Horner

Newey decided last year to move away from total commitment to grand prix racing because he had grown frustrated with ever more restrictive rules.

But with F1 teams embarking on a push to create faster and better looking cars over the next few years, there is a chance that more design freedom could tempt a Newey rethink.

Horner has no doubt that Newey still has a huge passion for F1, so he thinks that his future could be open.

Asked if he thought Newey could be attracted by a radical rules overhaul, Horner replied: "Who knows? It is some way down the road, but he is still very motivated - you can see that.

"So if the regulations change and become a little bit more open, and more enticing, then perhaps that will whet his appetite to get further involved.

"He is at a stage in his career and life where he is enjoying the prospect of a couple of new challenges as well.

"But at heart he is still a racer, very passionate about F1, and still extremely competitive."

ENGINE BIAS A FRUSTRATION

Newey was present at the first pre-season F1 test at Jerez last week, and once again expressed frustration at how engines have become a dominant factor in car performance.

"Formula 1 should be a blend of the driver, and the chassis, and the engine," he said.

"The current regulations are too much in favour of the engine, and the very restrictive set of regulations on the chassis.

"So if an engine manufacturer derives a benefit, it's difficult for a chassis manufacturer to make enough of a difference to overturn that."