Former Formula One driver Ralf Schumacher said that he expects the announced departure of Adrian Newey from Red Bull to result in further personnel consequences for the team.
"I believe that this will be the beginning of a new era for Red Bull and that he will not be the last to leave," the TV pundit told dpa.
Red Bull said on Wednesday that Newey, one of the most celebrated designers in F1 history, is to leave the team in 2025 and will shift focus to the final development and delivery of Red Bull’s first-ever hypercar, the RB17.
"I could imagine some people leaving together with Adrian Newey. If that were to happen, I believe that the team could slide into mediocrity with the new rules for the 2026 season at the latest," Schumacher said.
Newey joined Red Bull ahead of their second F1 season in 2006 and has been crucial helping to turn the operation from midfield runners to world champions.
It's unclear whether he will return to F1 in the future, but he has been recently linked to a job at Ferrari.
Newey’s departure also places further pressure on Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, who earlier this year was investigated due to his conduct with a female employee.
He was cleared of the accusations, but the situation led to tensions with top figures at Red Bull and several reports said that the affair also caused a rift with Newey, and that's why the engineer decided to leave the F1 champions.