Newey's Future at McLaren Not Guaranteed

McLaren technical director Adrian Newey says that his future at the team in 2006 is not guaranteed, despite claiming earlier this year that he was committed to the outfit for next year

Oct 20, 2005, 9:40 AM

Newey's current contract with the team that he signed last April only runs until the end of next January, but he had said in the summer that he would be with McLaren for next season.

However, a report in this week's Autosport claims that Newey has not yet agreed terms to extend his contract - and that means he could leave the team before the start of the 2006 season.

"I will certainly be in Formula One next year, but that does not necessarily mean I will be at McLaren," he said. "It's unlikely that I will leave, but my contract only goes up to next January and that's where we are at the moment."

Newey joined McLaren in 1997 after switching from Williams and has been credited with much of the team's success since then. He nearly left the team in 2001, however, after accepting an offer from Jaguar Racing.