Adrian Newey to leave Red Bull at the end of the season
Adrian Newey, Red Bull's emblematic engineer, has reportedly told his management that he wishes to leave the team at the end of the season.
After the Horner affair and the rumors surrounding a possible departure of Max Verstappen, the Red Bull team seemed to have returned to calm, focusing only on sports. However, behind the scenes, the atmosphere seems tense.
For the past few days, rumors have been circulating about the departure of a key member of the team. Adrian Newey is said to have decided to leave Red Bull after two decades as the team’s iconic designer, playing a crucial role in designing the cars that propelled Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen to a total of seven Formula 1 drivers’ world championship titles and six constructors’ world championship titles for Red Bull.
The news of Newey’s imminent departure was first reported by the German media Auto Motor und Sport and subsequently confirmed to Autosport and the BBC, thanks to sources close to the situation. This news represents a huge blow for Red Bull, which is currently on course for another world championship with Verstappen and his dominant RB20.
What future for Newey?
He had however signed a new contract with Red Bull last year. The Austrian team is still immersed in an internal power struggle between the Thai part of the company, which supports team principal Christian Horner, and the Austrian part including the views of the team advisor, Helmut Marko.
Max Verstappen is still under contract with the team until the end of 2028, but he has clearly indicated in recent weeks that his future with the team depends heavily on all the pillars of his success that remain in place. The Dutchman has an exit clause in his contract in case Helmut Marko leaves, but it is not known if he has a similar option in case Newey leaves.
The next step for Newey is not yet known. As reported by Autosport, the engineer has received a very lucrative offer from Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. He has also long been admired by Ferrari, whose advances have been rejected several times in the past. The terms of Newey’s sabbatical are subject to further discussions.
Newey had designed the Williams that allowed Damon Hill to win the world championship in 1996. He then moved to McLaren, where he also enjoyed success by designing the championship-winning cars of Mika Hakkinen in 1998 and 1999. He stayed with the Woking team until Red Bull convinced him to join its ambitious project in 2006.
