Because of the affair surrounding team boss Horner
Formula 1 icon is apparently quitting Red Bull
April 25, 2024, 9:35 p.m
Formula 1 is facing a shock: star designer Adrian Newey wants to leave Red Bull after around 18 years. According to reports, the trigger is Red Bull’s handling of the allegations against team boss Christian Horner. It is unclear what impact this would have on world champion Max Verstappen.
In the wake of the affair surrounding Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, star designer Adrian Newey is apparently about to leave the Formula 1 racing team. As reported by “Auto, Motor und Sport” and the BBC, among others, Newey is said to have already informed Red Bull of his wish to leave. There are no official reports on this yet. The 65-year-old Newey is considered perhaps the most brilliant Formula 1 designer ever, he is the spiritual father of many world champion cars at Williams, McLaren and Red Bull. The affair surrounding Horner is also said to have caused him to leave early despite a valid contract until the end of 2025 have.
Newey has been working for the Formula 1 team since 2006, which, after a marriage to Sebastian Vettel from 2010 to 2013, is now once again the benchmark in the premier class of motorsport with superstar Max Verstappen. There have been repeated speculations about a farewell to Newey in the past. The Englishman is associated with a commitment to Ferrari, where record world champion Lewis Hamilton will drive from 2025. Aston Martin is also said to be interested.
At the beginning of February it became known that the Red Bull company was investigating allegations against Red Bull team boss Horner for allegedly inappropriate behavior. After an investigation by a lawyer, the complaint from a former Red Bull employee was dismissed. Afterwards, before the first Grand Prix of the year in Bahrain, anonymous emails with files were sent to the other team bosses and Formula 1 journalists, the juicy content of which put Horner under pressure again. He has always protested his innocence.
Formula 1 competitors are watching closely
Newey is said to be unhappy about the power struggle at Red Bull, wrote “Auto, Motor und Sport”. On the one hand, according to the media, there are the Thai majority owners, who continue to support team boss Horner. On the other hand, there is the Austrian side of the beverage group around the heirs of co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, who died in 2022.
If Newey actually resigns, this could also have an impact on Max Verstappen – the F1 dominator had avoided expressing his full support to the team boss in the wake of the Horner affair. On the sidelines of the Chinese Grand Prix last weekend, the Dutchman said: “I have a long contract. The only thing I emphasized from the start is that I want a peaceful working environment.” Verstappen also has an exit clause in the event that motorsport consultant Helmut Marko leaves the team – who, according to consistent media reports, is Horner’s biggest opponent internally.
In any case, the competition is likely to monitor the Newey situation closely. On the one hand, in order to be able to engage the star designer if necessary and, on the other hand, in order to use possible consequences to one’s own advantage. Mercedes in particular, which has only awarded a cockpit for 2025, has been intensively courting the three-time world champion since Verstappen’s exit option became known. According to the BBC, Newey’s early departure will “severely shock” the Red Bull team.