According to a report from German outlet AMuS, Adrian Newey – the technical genius at the Milton Keynes squad – is leaving Red Bull. The 65-year-old has been integral to the team’s F1 success, especially with the current generation of cars. However, it is understood that Red Bull’s internal instability has motivated him to explore new pastures.
A few months ago, formu1a.uno published an article detailing Aston Martin’s potential interest in signing Adrian Newey. Of course, every team in F1 (with the financial means) sees Newey as a hugely desirable asset. The most relevant aspect of this report was that, at the Saudi Arabia GP, several teams probed the British engineer’s interest in a move elsewhere.
Partly due to the internal conflicts at Red Bull, rivals have kept a close eye on any opportunities that may arise.
Adrian Newey reportedly on the way out
AMuS now report that Newey is on his way out at Red Bull. The British engineer is said to be unhappy with the political games that have plagued the team in 2024.
Such a scenario is not a complete surprise. The political battle at the Austrian team has been intense, with Jos Verstappen at one stage calling for Christian Horner’s dismissal. Meanwhile, Helmut Marko – who is firmly in the Verstappen camp – was on the verge of suspension.
At the height of Red Bull’s civil war, Max Verstappen refused to directly rebuke his father’s quite direct calls for Horner to be replaced. Whilst Red Bull’s on-track success has helped to put this conflict out of the limelight, the consequences of this rift are still playing out.
There is a reason why Toto Wolff has consistently mentioned Max Verstappen as an option for the Silver Arrows.
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The Mercedes team principal is surely aware that Red Bull is in a very delicate situation. Just last week, Wolff said that only “simple minds” focus exclusively on performance when making decisions about their future. It seems reasonable to interpret these comments as a nod towards the battleground at Milton Keynes.
Of course, this is just an inference. That said, what seems concrete is that Adrian Newey’s time at the Austrian squad is coming to an end.
The next question, logically, is where he goes next. More information will follow on this developing story.
