A former Formula 1 engineer has no doubt that Adrian Newey will adhere to the terms of his 'gardening leave' and not begin work for Aston Martin ahead of schedule.
Newey, widely regarded as the most brilliant technical mind in F1, agreed with Red Bull that he would not take up his new role at Aston Martin until early March.
For Fernando Alonso, that delayed start makes a 2025 title challenge unrealistic.
"The cars will be the same as last year and it will be practically impossible for us to make such a big jump."
Beyond that, Newey has already confirmed that his primary focus will be on Aston Martin's 2026 project, acknowledging that his March arrival leaves him playing catch-up compared to rival designers.
"I will be focused on 2026," he said, "but Lawrence (Stroll) will definitely want me to be involved a bit with the 2025 car.
"Whether I can really contribute something this year or not, I have no idea until I start."
'Gardening leave' is a contractual arrangement between teams and engineers, but Formula 1 itself also monitors compliance with these agreements.
However, there is often speculation that an engineer in this position might still be providing input unofficially in the background.
"I'm sure he's not going to be doing that," former Spanish F1 engineer Toni Cuquerella told DAZN.
"Adrian is someone who has always understood and respected the profession," he said.
"Also, it gives you almost nothing and yet you're risking a lot to do it. It's a risk that he's certainly not going to take."
