Turbulent times at Red Bull.
Red Bull Racing has officially announced the departure of Adrian Newey, their brilliant Chief Technical Officer and mastermind. Newey has been an integral part of Red Bull Racing since 2006, contributing significantly to their incredible journey to becoming a dominant force in Formula 1. He’s been the driving force behind designing cars that propelled the team to win all 13 of their world titles.
Under his guidance, Sebastian Vettel secured four consecutive drivers’ championships from 2010 to 2013, followed by Max Verstappen’s three consecutive titles. Verstappen’s impressive start in the 2024 season speaks volumes about the impact of Newey’s latest creation. His recent designs have excelled since the introduction of the current ground-effect regulations in 2022, with Red Bull winning 25 out of the last 27 races. Newey is widely respected as one of the most accomplished bosses in Formula 1 history. Before joining Red Bull in 2006, he had crafted championship-winning cars for McLaren and Williams. Despite Red Bull’s announcement in May 2023 about Newey extending his contract until the end of the 2025 season, it’s now confirmed that he’ll be leaving the team before March next year.
The recent, shocking news comes at a time of turmoil at Red Bull, following a thorough investigation earlier this year by their Austrian parent company into allegations of inappropriate behaviour against team principal Christian Horner. The complaint against Horner, which he has consistently refuted, was officially dismissed on February 28. The woman who lodged the complaint has now appealed the decision.
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What next for Red Bull?
Amidst what seems a struggle for control at the highest levels of the team, which nearly led to the departure of motorsport advisor Helmut Marko, there has also been speculation about the possibility of three-time reigning world champion Max Verstappen departing. With Red Bull diving into making their own engine for the first time in preparation for 2026, Newey’s absence is like a giant question mark looming over whether they can whip up a championship-worthy car.
Verstappen’s locked in until 2028, but he’s been pretty up front about how Red Bull’s ability to keep giving him a winning ride will sway his decision, especially since there are trap-doors in his contract. It will be interesting to see what Verstappen has to say about the mastermind’s exit from the team next weekend when he faces the press at the Miami GP. Mercedes are trying to woo the Dutchman in the hope of filling the void created by Lewis Hamilton.
Ferrari for real?
After confirmation of Newey’s exit, SkySports News reported that both Aston Martin and Ferrari had approached Newey. Albeit, Newey’s preference lies with legacy team Ferrari. As it stands, Newey will not be serving his gardening time, leaving him a free agent for 2026. It plays out perfectly for Ferrari if they want the mastermind behind Red Bull’s domination to design their car under the new regulations. All that being said, the possibility for retirement has not been ruled out for Newey, though unlikely.
Newey is like the rockstar of Formula 1, celebrated and accomplished. Before Horner managed to woo him into joining Red Bull in 2006, he’d already whipped up a bunch of championship-winning cars for McLaren and Williams. It will be interesting to see if Newey picks up his gadgets to design for Ferrari. This may just be the resurrection of Ferrari’s huge legacy, especially with Lewis Hamilton in the driver’s seat.
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