Adrian Newey reflects on his decision to leave Red Bull
F1 design genius Adrian Newey explains his departure from Red Bull with the remark "true to myself".
Adrian Newey revealed that his decision to leave Red Bull last year was motivated by the need to be honest with himself.
Adrian Newey, who left Red Bull surprisingly, had been a pillar of the team since 2006 as technical director. Aged 66, he was a key figure in Red Bull’s dominance between 2010 and 2013 with Sebastian Vettel, as well as more recently with Max Verstappen.
Read also: Adrian Newey officially joins Aston Martin in 2025
A personal decision
Although the exact reasons for his departure are not entirely clear, internal turmoil at Red Bull seems to have played a role. In early 2024, Christian Horner was under investigation for inappropriate behavior, which fueled rumors of a possible transfer of Max Verstappen to Mercedes.
In an interview with the German media AMuS, Adrian Newey discussed his decision to leave Red Bull while confirming that he did not wish to retire from F1. « I think it goes back a bit. If you had told me 12 months ago that I would leave Red Bull and start a new adventure, I would have told you that you were crazy », he stated.
But for various reasons, I felt that I would not be true to myself if I stayed at Red Bull. The first difficult decision was this: stay or leave? After reflection, and to be honest with myself, I couldn’t stay.
« Once that decision was made, the next question was: what to do next? With my wife Mandy, we explored several possibilities. I am fortunate not to need to work financially. »
« I could have simply retired and relaxed on a beach, or turned to something completely different, like the America’s Cup, working for a car manufacturer, or staying in racing. If I were to stay in racing, I might as well stay in F1, provided people wanted me. »
Newey’s grand mission at Aston Martin
Adrian Newey will officially start at Aston Martin on March 3 as Managing Technical Partner.
He will play a key role in the design of Aston Martin’s F1 car for 2026, when the new regulations are introduced. The team hopes that Adrian Newey will be the missing asset to aim for regular victories and world titles.
In preparation for the 2025 season, Aston Martin has already announced several changes in its management team: Andy Cowell has been appointed team director, while Mike Krack will take on a role in the field.
