Adrian Newey is absent from the Red Bull team this weekend as Formula One rolled into Emilia-Romagne region, a tourist light version of Tuscany. The guru F1 designer announced prior to the Miami Grand Prix, he would be leaving the racing team which he and Christian Horner have built. The statement from Red Bull

In an interview with Martin Brundle, Adrian explained he was – like Forrest Gump – “feeling a little tired.” F1 pundits Karun Chandhock and Brundle who have spent time with Newey racing a number of his classic car collection have since commented they believe his explanation and that he has not yet decided to return to F1.

 

 

 

Newey hints at joining another F1 team

Yet at the running of the Monaco Classic Grand Prix last weekend, Newey was interviewed again and he hinted following some R&R he may return to the work he loves. There has been speculation that Adrian disapproves of this year’s infighting at Red Bull, which in part is why he is leaving. The Red Bull chief technical officer referred to the “events of this year,” in the Brundle interview before catching himself.

Ironically with Newey’s seat absent on the Red Bull pit wall in Italy this week, Red Bull have struggled more than at any other event this season. Max failed to set the timing screens alight in all the practice sessions and had a best position in FP1 of P5. It then seemed as though the magic dust had disappeared with Newey.

As qualifying began, it was the McLaren and Ferrari drivers who had the momentum, yet cometh the hour – cometh the F1 man of the moment as Verstappen hauled his RB20 to the top of the time sheets in each of the three sessions claiming a record eight consecutive pole position.

The inevitable focus from the media this weekend has again honed in on the Red Bull Racing team and how its life without Newey would fair and  Pierre Wache, team Technical Director since 2018, appeared irritated with some of the questioning from the press. “Its doesn’t matter what your name is” he insisted stating the guru F1 designer will be excluded from F1 key internal meetings going forward.

Ferrari reward with MEGA offer

 

 

 

Not yet the ‘greatest’ F1 designer

Newey is set to remain with the Red Bull organisation until he concludes his work on their RB17 hypercar project. “The final stages of development of RB17 are upon us,” Newey said in a statement. “So for the remainder of my time with the Team, my focus will lie there.” The car launch is set for the annual July Goodwood Festival of Speed and so Newey’s involvement beyond then should be minimal.

The F1 paddock have eulogised about Newey’s incredible record since it was announced he was ‘retiring’, yet Adrian needs the RB20 to claim this year’s F1 championships if he is to be recognised as the statistically most successful F1 car designer of all time.

Wache confirmed the Red Bull team have closed the door on Newey’s input and in fact the softly spoken Englishman will be refused access to any intellectual property relating to the RB20’s successors.

“At the moment currently, as going with the potential ability to go to a competitor, you know every lever,” Wache told Sky Sports F1 in Imola. “It doesn’t matter about your name, the risk [of] picking up some current IP on the car for sure, and the future car even more. We are making very careful [steps]. I learned that from him!”

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Red Bull Tech director expects Newey at another F1 team

Clearly Red Bull believe there is a real possibility that Newey will in fact turn up at another F1 team, which makes it all the more surprising they agreed to cut his garden leave by a year. The most likely team to capture Adrian’s signature is Ferrari who have approached Newey three times during his long career and the Mail Sport claims to have inside information that the deal is already agreed.

Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur was quizzed about the speculation but played it cool with his response. “Adrian, he has a mega record,” he said. “He’s the most successful engineer in the paddock. I don’t know about statistics, but I would say that it’s like this probably. But I have no comment to make on this.”

Ferrari have been on an upward trajectory since the sacking of team boss Matteo Binotto even though they slipped behind Mercedes in the final standings of 2023. Yet as the season came to a close, the Ferrari car looked quicker than Mercedes and Charles Leclerc had a shot at winning the Las Vegas Grand Prix, but for a mistake as the laps ran down, allowing Max Verstappen to take the win. 

Under Vasseur’s leadership Carlos Sainz has claimed two victories and was the only non-Red Bull race winner since the start of last year until Lando Norris benefited from a safety car in Miami. Yet the Spaniard is leaving the team to make way for Lewis Hamilton who is hoping the Newey exit from Red Bull will see him partner up with the great designer in Maranello.

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Verstappen slams Hamilton

Red Bull still ‘behind the pace’ despite upgrade as Verstappen complains about Hamilton. Max Verstappen sounds the alarm: “We were seriously behind the pace today, we have to fix that,” was the sobering conclusion of the world championship leader after the first day of practice at Imola.

In free practice at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, the Dutchman and his team were no match for the leaders. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was fastest in both sessions…. READ MORE