Adrian Newey will officially end his Red Bull career on the 28th February 2025 although his input into the Formula One team in Milton Keynes ceased when the date was announced early May this year.
There is an element of mystery about exactly how much input the guru F1 car designer has had in recent years since he ceded his role as the team’s technical director in 2018. This followed a period of disillusionment for Newey with Formula One, driven mostly by the uncompetitive nature of their Renault powered engine.
Clearly what is the point of designing the most advanced aerodynamic F1 car when it has too little oomph in the power department to make a difference. So Adrian was allowed to collaborate with Aston Martin over a hyper car as Wache took over the day to day running of the design team.
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Since then Newey has only worked for around half the year and his input into the technical team has been collaborative not directional. In fact a number of reports emerged that Newey’s departure from Red Bull was because he needed a bigger challenge and was not receiving the credit he deserved.
When repeatedly asked about his guru designer during the most dominant season in F1 history, Christian Horner was on message each time giving credit to Wache and the team alongside Newey.
Speaking to motorsport.com Horner commented: “Adrian is a big part of this team and big part of what we’ve achieved. But of course, his role has evolved over the last few years and the technical team beneath him led by Pierre Wache.
“They’re doing a wonderful job and so that they’re not reliant on Adrian,” revealed the Red Bull boss.
Newey’s main area of focus the suspension
As the news did the rounds on X, Newey’s wife felt it necessary to object. “What a load of hogwash,” she tweeted in response to two outlets’ suggestions that his squad’s technical leadership has evolved to “not be reliant” on Newey.
Newey is credited with Red Bull’s recent success since the introduction of the ground effect cars in 2022. This was because he is the only senior F1 engineer who was around between 1978 and 1982 when ground effect cars were last allowed by the FIA regulations. With Red Bull acing the revised ground effect rules, it was natural to assume this was purely down to the influence of Newey.
Adrian was clearly involved with the designs of Red Bull’s new ground effect cars but in an interview last year he revealed his main area of focus was around the suspension and the front end of the car. Red Bull’s early advantage was because they’re car did not bounce like the others, due to a clever anti dive mechanism which kept the aerodynamics platform stable.
As Red Bull dropped the ball mid-season this year, it was quickly assumed this was due to the absence of Newey’s influence. Clearly Adrian was involved in the creation of the RB20, but false moves over in season development saw the world champions slip from their pedestal.
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Red Bull wrong development direction
The Newey inspired Red Bull ground effect cars were distinguished from the rest by how it they have delivered consistent downforce at all ride heights, all conditions of yaw, pitch and roll without suffering the dreaded porpoising. So the design wasn’t about peak downforce which was unremarkable, but useable downforce which was exceptional.
As the rest of the field figured this out, the gaps to Red Bull began to diminish. So in line with their development plan, this year would see more peak downforce added to the car.
And there began Red Bull’s problems.
Both Red Bull drivers have admitted the team took a wrong turn in some of the upgrades it brought during the European season but another problem raised its head with the Newey designed suspension. In Monaco Verstappen could not ride the kerbs due to the extreme loss lap time, which was reflected in his P6 starting position.
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No Monza special rear wing
The Red Bull decided not to develop a special Monza wing, but chose to modify their lowest downforce configuration instead. This was a miserable failure as Verstappen came home seventh in qualifying and just sixth in the Grand Prix.
The Monza wing was used by those who had one in Las Vegas, given the length of the back straight along the Strip. Red Bull again were forced to cut sections of carbon fibre from their low downforce wing but again were not really at the races, Max being fifth quickest in qualifying and fifth at the chequered flag.
Max suggested next season the team reconsider their decision and build a Monza specification low downforce wing, given the lack of pace in his Red Bull in Las Vegas and Italy.
The RB21 will be an evolution of the RB20, given all the teams will be developing the revolutionary new cars for 2026. But Red Bull’s technical director now says he is “not confident” for next year given the way the field has closed up this season.
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Newey replacement “not confident”
Speaking to Motorsport.com, Wache reveals the team were happy with the turnaround in form. “I think we are happy with the things we were able to do quickly after that [the bad phase]. But I am not confident about 2025. I don’t have that confidence because I think the others will also be very fast. It will be a battle of a whole year.”
Yet the French born engineer believes the team are now consistently improving the car and his lack of confidence is related to the fact others are getting on top of the ground effect principles. Wache reflects on last season and expresses surprise the other teams had not caught up. “It was not that we were doing better, it was more that other teams were not yet doing well at that time,” said the Red Bull technical director.
“McLaren started late this season, although that is not our fault. The car in itself was not very different. In absolute terms, our car was the same, but we need to find more performance, because the others are now also very fast or even faster.”
Valtteri Bottas surprise career option
Valtteri Bottas has confirmed he will not be on the Formula One grid next season. The only seats remaining confirmation are within the Red Bull family as Dr. Marko revealed in Las Vegas he will preside over an end of season pow wow in Milton Keynes to decide Sergio Perez’s fate.
The Finn told assembled media that Red Bull was not an option for him because “I feel like there are some people at Red Bull who don’t really like me for some reason,”he told the assembled media including following the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Bottas has been offered the role of third driver back at Mercedes where he raced for five years between 2017 and 2021. He claimed ten race victories during his stint alongside Lewis Hamilton and helped the team to the historic eight consecutive constructors’ championship in 2021 while Max Verstappen clinched his first world title… 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.
