Adrian Newey, the innovative engineer and Chief Technical Officer at Red Bull, is poised to depart from the team in the initial quarter of 2025, as announced in a statement released on Wednesday.
Newey, revered as the foremost designer in the history of the sport, joined Red Bull in 2006. His championship-winning car concepts have thus far secured seven F1 Drivers’ and six Constructors’ Championship titles, amassing 118 victories and 101 poles, including the STR 2008 pole and victory.
Before his tenure at Red Bull, the 65-year-old enjoyed successful stints at Williams and McLaren.
“It has been a tremendous honor to have contributed significantly to Red Bull Racing’s evolution from a newcomer to a multi-title-winning team over nearly two decades,” expressed Newey in the statement issued by Red Bull.
“However, I believe the time is ripe to pass on the baton to others and explore fresh challenges,” he added.
Currently, Newey is engrossed in the development of Red Bull’s maiden hypercar – the highly anticipated RB17 – pledging to dedicate the remainder of his time to this endeavor.
Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing Team Principal and CEO, lauded Newey for his monumental contributions that have propelled the team to clinch 13 titles in 20 seasons.
“Adrian’s guidance has been instrumental in our greatest triumphs over the past two decades,” remarked Horner.
“His exceptional capacity to think beyond the confines of F1, infusing broader inspiration into the design of grand prix cars, coupled with his remarkable adaptability to embrace change and identify the most fruitful areas within the regulations, along with his unwavering desire for victory, have elevated Red Bull Racing to heights even beyond the imagination of the late Dietrich Mateschitz,” he added.
On the racing front, driver Max Verstappen has secured three consecutive World Championships since 2021, with the Dutchman recently clinching a record-breaking 19 out of 22 races.
Verstappen’s dominance persists this season, having triumphed in every race thus far, except for the Australian Grand Prix, where he was compelled to retire due to a rare mechanical failure.
Notwithstanding continued success on the track, Red Bull’s ongoing season has been marred by the aftermath of an external probe into allegations of misconduct against Horner.
In February, an independent inquiry was initiated by Red Bull following accusations of inappropriate behavior leveled against Horner by a member of the racing team, allegations vehemently denied by the 50-year-old. Subsequently, he was exonerated of any wrongdoing, as declared by Red Bull GMBH, the Formula One team’s parent company.
Reports in March indicated that Red Bull suspended the female employee who had raised the allegations against Horner.
Several team principals, including Mercedes’ Toto Wolff, have advocated for transparency regarding the investigation into Horner.
