Red Bull chief designer Adrian Newey is reportedly set to leave the team at the end of the season. Newey is one of the biggest names in the ranks of the world champions, and the news has come as a surprise.
Opinions will vary on how big an impact Newey’s exit could have. Red Bull will insist that their recent achievements have been the productive of a collective effort, bigger than any one man.
Indeed, the Bulls have also been dependent one of the greatest drivers in F1 history, with Max Verstappen winning 23 out of 27 races since the start of last year. Teammate Sergio Perez has often struggled to extract the same level of performance from the car.
And behind the scenes, Newey certainly isn’t the only man responsible for designing the car. Technical director Pierre Wache is also known to play a key role.
A timeline for the 65-year-old’s departure is unclear at this stage. He’s under contract until the end of 2025 but he wants out before the end of the year.
Red Bull have won the last three drivers’ titles and the last two constructors’ championships. They’re overwhelming favourites to continue that streak not only this year, but into 2025 as well.
Christian Horner remarks didn’t go down well with Adrian Newey
According to The Race, Newey feels he hasn’t received enough credit for Red Bull’s success. Horner said last year (via Autosport) that Wache’s technical team were no longer ‘reliant’ on the Englishman.
The team principal stressed that Red Bull are ‘stronger’ with Newey than they would be without him, but he also had the ability to ‘come in and come out’ as he pleased. He’s been central to the development of the RB17 hypercar.
Reports last month claimed that Horner wanted Newey to focus solely on that side of the business. Red Bull denied that this was the case, but clearly there were private rumblings of discontent.
Now it’s emerged that Newey feels ‘much more influential’ at Milton Keynes than Horner and co. have suggested. And that may have created a degree of tension.
Where will Adrian Newey go next?
We’re still waiting for official confirmation from Red Bull, but their rivals will already be circling like sharks. While it looks like a three-team race for now, more are bound to enter the running for a legendary figure.
Aston Martin have perhaps been the most active contender so far. Billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll has made a determined push to sign Newey, whom he regards as a ‘feasible target’.
However, some insiders at the team believe that a move to Ferrari is more likely. The Scuderia want to bring him in to design cars for their new signing Lewis Hamilton.
And then there’s Mercedes, lurking in the background. They could approach Newey in the knowledge that signing him could be a route to landing Verstappen.
He must first decide whether he wants to continue in F1, pivot to other interests or simply retire. But if he does fancy a new challenge, then it could have huge ramifications at the front of the field given his track record.
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