BBC News and Autosport are reporting that Red Bull’s chief technical officer Adrian Newey is to leave the team following the controversy involving allegations about team principal Christian Horner.
Newey, regarded as the greatest F1 designer in history, has told Red Bull he wants to move on. The British designer has been linked to Ferrari joining Lewis Hamilton to form a dream team ahead of the regulation change in 2026.
Aston Martin has also been linked and made an offer to the Englishman will be of interest to all leading teams now his availability is known. Newey’s contract with Red Bull lasts until the end of 2025 but he is said to believe he can negotiate an exit that allows him to work with another team from next season.
Despite only signing a fresh Red Bull deal last year, Newey’s future at the Milton Keynes squad has been the subject of intense speculation in recent weeks.
2024 has been a year of shocks while Red Bull may be dominating on track, the situation off at Red Bull since Horner was accused of sexual harassment and coercive, abusive behaviour by a female employee, which Horner denies, has seen the team star driver Max Verstappen’s future in question.
The Dutchman is informally known to have an exit clause in his deal in case Marko leaves the organisation, but it is not known if he has a similar option for a departure by Newey.
The team are still embroiled in an internal civil war between the Thai side of the business, which supports team principal Christian Horner, and the Austrian side including team advisor Helmut Marko and Jos Verstappen.
Newey is not happy with the power struggle and that has led to his decision to resign.
However, the designer will be wanted by all teams given his success not just over the last eighteen years with Red Bull, but with Williams, Benetton in the 1990s and McLaren. Newey in his forty-year career has worked for Haas-Lola, March, Williams McLaren and for the last twenty-years Red Bull.
He was awarded an OBE in the 2012 New Year Honours for services to motorsport. He was acquitted of manslaughter in 2005 over the death of Ayrton Senna at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, by the Italian Supreme Court.
Verstappen is said to have lost faith in Horner, despite him having a contract until 2028 it has been reported that Newey’s future could trigger a break clause. Mercedes have been open that the would seek him as a replacement for Hamilton.
Last weekend Horner told his Mercedes counterpart to stop “focusing on drivers that are unavailable”. Verstappen has not said firmly he would stay rather ‘pretty crazy things’ could see him leave Red Bull. There is also a rift between Verstappen’s father Jos who accused Horner of “tearing the team apart.”
Red Bull and Newey did not immediately respond to requests for comment. But any move will add to what could be the silliest silly season in the sports history, prompted by Hamilton’s decision to join Ferrari for 2025 in February.
