The news this week that Adrian Newey will no longer participate in the Red Bull Racing team’s future is for many shocking. Having felt he could no longer control his own destiny at McLaren, Newey changed his mind on quitting the sport when Christian Horner persuaded him to join the nascent Red Bull Formula One project for the 2006 season.
Newey together with Horner have across twenty years built the world championship winning team from the ashes of the failed Ford owned Jaguar F1 outfit. Red Bull were criticised in the early days for being ‘the new kids on the block’ as well as the ‘party animals’ pumping out beats from the garage like “who let the dogs out” when celebrating a Sebastian Vettel victory.
Newey once a “restless soul”
Now in their 20th season, the Red Bull Racing team have accumulated thirteen F1 world championships and will match Mercedes fifteen when they claim the double again at the end of 2024.
Whilst even world championship drivers have come and gone, the foundation of the team has been rooted in the leadership of Horner and the design genius of Adrian Newey. They pride themselves in having built a ‘new way’ of running a Formula One team based on the principles of ‘work hard – play hard.’
Previously known as a ‘restless soul’ Newey clearly found his true home in the Red Bull setup which allowed him to input in the F1 project while having time to dip in and out of other projects such as the Aston Martin Valkyrie. Newey has been almost full time voluntarily for the past year on the RB17 car which is Red Bull’s ‘no rules defined’ hypercar project. All this suggests Newey committing to starting over in an F1 team culture he does not define is a non-starter.
Yet the Newey announcement which does not make clear his future intentions once the RB17 project is complete is reported to be having a significant impact within the workforce at Milton Keynes. Seen as a talisman for the group, Newey’s departure has not been received well amongst the men and women who are currently propelling Max Verstappen towards his fourth drivers’ title.
Verstappen now “certain” to leave
Ex-Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher believes the announcement of Newey’s departure means Max Verstappen is “certain” to leave Red Bull in the near future. The once unbreakable partnership was rocked with the revelations Christian Horner was under investigation for “inappropriate behaviour” towards a female employee.
For some as yet unknown reason, Jos Verstappen, then lambasted the Red Bull boss publicly claiming that by remaining in situ, Horner was risking ‘tearing the team apart.’ Max backed up his father claiming he was “no liar” and implied he too could leave his Red Bull home should his mentor Dr. Helmut Marko be dismissed.
All of this sits against the backdrop of a power struggle in the parent Red Bull company since the death of founder and entrepreneur Didi Mateschitz. This was apparently resolved when the usually private Austrian minority shareholding contingent appeared at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and were publicly photographed having informal conversations with both Horner and Max Verstappen.
Now Max’s seemingly endless future and success with the Red Bull team is in jeopardy. Toto Wolff has repeatedly stated in public he would love to have Verstappen in the Mercedes team as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement, but recognises the current F1 world champion would want to be in a car capable of winning – which Mercedes current W15 offering is clearly not.
Red Bull Costcap masterstroke with Newey internal move
Red Bull engineers “leaving”
Speaking to Sky Germany ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, Ralph Schumacher claims Max Verstappen is the next to announce his departure from the all conquering Red Bull F1 team.
“I also think he has other options,” said the former F1 driver. “In the paddock, you already hear stories about him talking to others. The question is whether it will happen next year or the year after, but for me it is certain that he wants to leave.”
Schumacher believes the Red Bull F1 fairy tale is coming to a horror story finish and that the announcement of Newey’s departure will be the tip of the iceberg for Milton Keynes. He states that there is widespread “sadness” over the changing changing landscape since the death of Didi Mateschitz late in 2022.
“Engineers are leaving who want to go somewhere else together with Adrian Newey,” added Schumacher. “The team spirit is no longer what Dietrich Mateschitz would have wanted. What is happening now is really a shame and sad
“It is very disappointing that it is now falling apart because of people who were given the opportunity by Mateschitz, while at the core they were just employees It’s unbelievable. I have no words for it,” said the flabbergast German F1 pundit.
Huge Newey purchase suggests he’s Ferrari bound
“no one bigger than the team”
Yet whatever the driver lineup and the staff register states, Red Bull Racing are not a team that is ready for decline. The team are a financial powerhouse in the modern era of the sport and as Christian Horner stated in a retort to Verstappen’s threat to leave the team, “no one is bigger than the team” – which for now includes Adrian Newey.
Newey’s role in terms of the car design has diminished over time with the guru racing car designer admitting last year he was responsible only for the suspension and the front wing on the new ground effect car designs introduced in 2022.
Of course Red Bull’s lack of bouncing suffered by other teams is because the Newey suspension was optimised for less downforce but more compliance and has been the basis for the team’s success over the past three seasons.
Cost cap win for Red Bull
Red Bull waved goodbye to their first world champion in 2014 as Sebastian Vettel once all conquering F1 driver decided to leave the team. Daniel Ricciardo who looked good to become an F1 world champion came and went and now the Verstappen era could well be arriving at its conclusion.
Whatever Max’s decision one thing is certain. Christian Horner built Red Bull Racing and it will continue with or without its star driver and car designer. The release of Newey from the F1 racing team now has given Red Bull a huge budget boost which they can use to retain their unsung heroes and stars who behind the scenes are the fundamental reason for the teams ongoing success.
Verstappen “unhappy” with Newey
Honda drop Tsunoda plans for Aston Marti
The big news this weekend is that Adrian Newey will finally hang up his pencil in the Red Bull Racing design office after 20 seasons of designing Milton Keynes F1 challengers. Yet amidst all the hype over what might be next for the guru designer, the Formula One driver market is moving forward.
Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Nico Hülkenberg have all declared new contracts for 2025 and beyond yet a number of other drivers are out of contract this year and their representatives are beavering away behind the scenes to ensure they have a seat next season at motorsports top table…. 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.
