Adrian Newey takes his cap and leaves for the season.
Thursday 25 April at 18:17
The BBC reports the news.
The British state channel calls Newey the best design manager in Formula 1 history, and he has received much of the credit for Red Bull’s dominance of the top class of motorsport over the past two seasons.
– Newey is the mastermind behind Red Bull’s good car. It is worse for them to lose Newey than Verstappen, says Formula 1 commentator in Viaplay Atle Gulbrandsen to VG.
– He is the best designer in modern times. As a car means more than a driver in Formula 1, he is, in a sense, more important than Max Verstappen.
The BBC writes that the allegations and investigations surrounding team manager Christian Horner have made Newey insecure. Horner was accused of sexual and harassing behavior towards a Red Bull employee. Horner has always denied the accusations.
Red Bull cleared Horner of the charges.
– We do not know whether it is the Horner conflict that is the cause of this, it may be that he wants to retire. But if he disappears, it is a big loss for Red Bull, says Gulbrandsen and continues:
– And that will have a big impact on whether Max Verstappen drives for Red Bull in 2026 or not. A Red Bull without Newey is much less attractive.
The 65-year-old has a contract that runs until the end of the 2025 season, but the BBC believes he has a clause that allows him to leave for another team after this season. For 2026 and beyond could mean a lot for Red Bull. New cars will then be designed and Red Bull will design its own engine for the first time.
– For the first time, Red Bull will create its own engine from scratch. Now they run with a Honda engine. So many people ask themselves whether Red Bull, which is after all an energy drink company, can build an engine from the start? With that uncertainty and without Adrian Newey, we could face a change of throne, says Gulbrandsen.
Newey has been with Red Bull since 2005 and has enjoyed two dominant spells with the team. The design manager is strongly linked to both Ferrari and Aston Martin.
– If he goes to a rival and does not retire, it will be a huge coup. The other teams are ready to give and offer anything to secure him. But he, like the drivers, has earned his money over the years, so it may well be that he retires.
Last season Max Verstappen and Red Bull had the most dominant season in Formula 1 history as Verstappen won 19 out of 22 races. Red Bull won all but one race.
The next race this season is in Miami on May 5.
