Red Bull global technical director Adrian Newey could leave the Milton Keynes-based team at the end of the season. according to a report from BBC Sport.
Speculation about a possible departure intensified Thursday after the report was released. When contacted for comment, Red Bull would not confirm or deny whether the highly regarded designer had expressed a desire to leave the reigning world champions and said Newey remained under contract at least until the end of 2025.
Newey is widely regarded as one of Formula 1’s greatest designers, being part of the constructors’ 12 world championship victories. He has designed race-winning cars for Williams and McLaren and spent almost two decades at Red Bull, starting in 2006.
If he is to leave Red Bull, it will spark a race for his signature, with significant interest expected from Ferrari and Aston Martin.
According to BBC Sport, Newey’s desire to leave stems from the current situation with team principal Christian Horner, who is facing allegations of inappropriate behavior. Horner continued to deny these allegations and the initial grievance was dismissed. However, the employee has since appealed.
As the process unfolded, a power struggle appeared to surface within the reigning world champion team, centered around team advisor Helmut Marko, who faced his own investigation from the part of the team’s parent company, and of Jos Verstappen, who is the father of Max Verstappen and claimed earlier. year when Red Bull risked being “torn apart” if Horner remained at the helm of the team.
GO FURTHER
Father of Max Verstappen: Red Bull could be ‘torn apart’ if Horner stays
Newey has overseen two dominant eras with Red Bull, from the four-title run with Sebastian Vettel to the recent streak with Verstappen. The Brit took a step back from day-to-day business when the 1.5-liter V6 turbo hybrid era began in 2014, but returned to full-time duties in 2019. Although he was involved in the design of the latest dominant cars, Newey’s role extends beyond F1, and he has worked on projects like the RB17 hypercar.
Despite the recent dominance, Newey’s potential departure would be a major blow for Red Bull. The regulations change in 2026, and it would be a test for Red Bull to see how strong the team under them is, led by Pierre Wache, Ben Waterhouse, Enrico Balbo and Craig Skinner.
Both Ferrari and Aston Martin are undergoing significant changes as they plot their respective futures. The Prancing Horses signed seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton from 2025 before this season even started, and in turn, Carlos Sainz – the only non-Red Bull driver to win (twice) in the last 27 races – was left as collateral damage. It’s a combination of success and fame, even though Hamilton and Ferrari haven’t won a world title in some time (2020 for the Briton and 2008 for the Italian team).
With a super-team driver line-up of Hamilton and Leclerc keeping the Prancing Horse from returning to championship victory, this is a consistent car. Ferrari has overhauled its design for 2024 and appears to have resolved some issues. However, given Newey’s skills, bringing the talented designer to Maranello could help Hamilton win his elusive eighth title with Ferrari after recent struggles with Mercedes.
Meanwhile, Aston Martin topped the grid in 2023 and looked set to challenge the top teams, with Fernando Alonso taking six podiums in the first eight races. But its performance began to regress as other teams made more substantial improvements, and the British team now sits at the back of the top five teams. Aston Martin recently re-signed Alonso for at least the next two years. This means the two-time world champion is expected to remain at Aston Martin until the start of the upcoming regulations and the start of the team’s partnership with Honda. It also shows the Spaniard’s commitment to the long-term project of reaching the path to race and championship victory.
Free daily sports updates straight to your inbox. Register
Free daily sports updates straight to your inbox. Register
Buy
Ferrari and Aston Martin have expressed interest in the past, and Newey has yet to work with Hamilton or Alonso.
The possibility of Newey’s move raises further questions about Verstappen’s future at the team. The Dutchman is under contract until 2028, but there have been rumors in recent weeks that he will leave. He mentioned in Australia this year that it was “very important that we try to keep key players in the team for longer.”
Required reading
(Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images)