Red Bull Racing must be laughing to their collective selves this morning as the news finally broke about Adrian Newey’s future intentions. Much has been written on the topic over the past few days starting with the German media who cited sources close to Newey.
The premise of the narrative has been, Adrian Newey – being a sensitive soul – has been ‘disturbed’ by either Christian Horner’s alleged sexting or the internal power struggle reported at the top of the Red Bull Group. This has led him to cast an eye on where he can finish his work in a ‘comfortable’ environment.
Newey to remain with Red Bull
As it turns out, firstly Newey remains in the Red Bull family and is not going to Ferrari or Aston Martin and secondly there is yet no evidence that he has been troubled in any way by the internal divisions.
A Red Bull statement confirming the departure read: “Red Bull Racing today announces that Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey will leave the Red Bull Technology Group in the first quarter of 2025. The engineering supremo will step back from Formula One design duties to focus on final development and delivery of Red Bull’s first hypercar, the hugely anticipated RB17. He will remain involved in and committed to this exciting project until its completion,” the statement began.
This is clearly an internal move and was to be expected following the announcement of the Red Bull hypercar program in January this year. Moreover in the days of F1’s financial regulations, Newey leaving the F1 part of the Red Bull group of companies frees up another slot for a high earner in the team.
The FIA rules allow for the exclusion from the cost cap calculations “the earnings of the three highest employees,” and with Newey reportedly receiving £10m a year, this saving goes a long way to retaining other key personnel. Newey announcing he is leaving the team ensures the FIA regulation which requires an apportionment of staff costs also no longer applies to Newey.
Ferrari attempt poaching RBR technical director
Earlier this year the Italian media reported Ferrari were trying to poach away Pierre Wache, the Red Bull technical director who has worked alongside Newey for years. Having lost David Sanchez to McLaren and Laurent Mekies to RB, Fred Vasseur made a play for Wache, one of the key figures behind the all conquering RB19.
While the approach was reportedly refused by Wache, Ferrari have captured the services of Mercedes performance director, Loic Serra, although his 18 month gardening leave will only see him join the team in 2025. AMuS Michael Schmidt believes Ferrari are hoping Serra can persuade Wache to follow him as they are good friends.
“I believe Loïc Serra was chosen carefully,” Schmidt said in his post-Spa video. “He is one of the best friends of Pierre Waché, the technical director of Red Bull. The two often spend hours together in the paddock, even though they are from rival teams.
“Both are heavy smokers and chat there. I’d love to listen in on what those two say to each other,” reported the veteran F1 writer.
Wolff hypocrisy over Verstappen talks
Newey departure allows another big earner
Now Red Bull have the opportunity to make Wache an offer he can’t refuse and with Newey remaining within the group, theres always the chance for a coffee or two in the staff canteen.
Newey is going nowhere -for now – and he said: “I feel now is an opportune moment to hand that baton over to others and to seek new challenges for myself. In the interim, the final stages of development of RB17 are upon us, so for the remainder of my time with the team my focus will lie there.”
The RB17 programme is set to run until 2028, though once production is under way, there seems little for Newey left to do. Yet the tone of the statements do suggests Adrian will leave Red Bull when he has completed his work on the hypercar programme.
Newey talks of his “remaining time with the team” and Christian Horner’s comments too have an air of finality about them. The Red Bull boss expressed deep gratitude for their personal bond, recognising Newey as a true friend and a permanent fixture in Red Bull’s illustrious history.
Aston Martin demand F1 stewards rethink min Miami
Horner says RBR is Newey’s legacy
“The past 19 years with Adrian have been enormous fun. For me, when Adrian joined Red Bull, he was already a superstar designer,” said Horner.
“Two decades and 13 Championships later he leaves as a true legend. He is also my friend and someone I will be eternally grateful to for everything he brought to our partnership.
“The legacy he leaves behind will echo through the halls of Milton Keynes and RB17 Track Car will be a fitting testament and legacy to his time with us.”
Ricciardo out? Team boss reacts
Newey plans retirement?
So the forecast big Adrian Newey’s future reveal turned to be a bit of a damp squib. There is the question of what next for Newey and the possibility he could end up elsewhere in Formula One will always remain.
Yet Newey will be close to 67 years of age by the time he becomes a free agent and turning around any Formula One team is now the work of half a decade as Mercedes demonstrated when buying Brawn GP. Its questionable whether Newey would add to his legacy if he went to Ferrari or merely sully it should he be unable to turn the fortunes of the Scuderia around.
Further Newey has 20 year of legacy with Red Bull Racing, he can’t improve on that in terms of time served at another team. So the conclusion this TJ13 writer has come to is Newey is set to retire, but on his own terms, but for the foreseeable future is a Red Bull family man through and through.
Audi warned over future driver pairing
Guenther Steiner sues his old bos
The Haas Formula 1 team is facing trouble. The reason is ex-team boss Guenther Steiner, who has filed a lawsuit against his former employer. Among other things, he is demanding money that he is supposedly entitled to but has not yet paid.
Guenther Steiner, the former Team Principal of the Haas Formula One team, became a household name thanks to his charismatic and often blunt appearances on Netflix’s “Drive to Survive.” The series, which gives an inside look at the personalities and politics of Formula One, showcased Steiner’s leadership style and his challenges in managing the team through ups and downs….READ MORE
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
With all due respect sir, Mekies is no loss to Ferrari. He believed he’d replace Binotto and when that didn’t happen he left for RB whatever the acronym means.
He is no loss.
As to David Sanchez, he left McLaren within 3 months of starting, some political notion that he found the position beneath him. Yet it’s suggested that he’s a divinise character in the work place.
I believe Vasseur has removed people from important roles within Ferrari, like also Rueda Inaki, the strategy guru. The improvement has been significant.
In regards Newey and his future plans, there’s no rebuilding job at Ferrari like there is at Alpine, Mercedes or Audi. Ferrari is currently the second best car out there, so any work needed would be the last few percent to challenge Red Bull – and whatever the truth about the respective groups, Red Bull is weakened by his departure.