F1 team bosses speak on the departure of Adrian Newey from Red Bull, with Christian Horner expanding on how it came about.
Amid stories of Newey departing due to various reasons, Red Bull chief Horner has noted about the decision which was coming for the past 12 months. He says it is burnout after a long career he’s had and so the decision of stepping aside.
Much like Max Verstappen, even Horner noted about Newey’s influence on their current cars getting lesser with Pierre Wache taking centerstage. The Brit also plays down situation of others leaving, along with Newey joining a rival team – at least immediately.
In terms of their rivals, McLaren’s Zak Brown praised Newey’s influence but also noted about the domino effect which is going to happen at Red Bull post his departure. He claimed of several CVs coming to his team’s way from Red Bull.
While he didn’t show immediate interest in signing him, but deep down he has that interest considering the name he is. It is same for Aston Martin’s Mike Krack, who are heavily linked to take him up. But Williams’ James Vowles was quite open on it.
He does wants Newey to join the humble team and return to Grove. Additionally, Visa Cash App RB’s Laurent Mekies too shared his thoughts on Newey leaving and the idea of having him, which for his team is not possible but for his former team is.
Here’s what F1 team bosses said –
Decision of Newey leaving, miss his magic –
Horner: “Adrian, you know, he’s had such a wonderful career. He’s been hard at it the last 30 years – obviously seven years with Williams, seven years with McLaren, and then he’s done the best part of 20 years with ourselves. Just speaking with him, he’s reached a point where the team is in great, great shape, we’re performing at such a high level; he feels that now is the right time for him to step away, take a bit of time out. He’s still going to be working on his RB17, the track car that we’re designing, but he felt that now is the time to take a break. Adrian is a formidable engineer. He’s always scratching for that last bit of performance, his challenges, he pushes the boundaries. Most of all, I’ll miss the camaraderie; we’ve shared a lot of highs and lows over the last 18 years, and he’s been sitting next to me on the pitwall throughout that time. There’s been 117 victories and quite a few world championships along the way. And there’s been a few lows! But I’ll certainly miss the camaraderie.”
Concerns of others leaving –
Horner: “No, not at all. Our key pillars are in place for the future. The technical team are all on long-term contracts. We’ve been having to think about this moment for some time. It was always going to come at some point. I think the structure that we’ve got in place – which Adrian has helped to contribute, to morph and mould into the package that it now is – is well set to take up the baton and continue to produce the fantastic cars that we have.”
Leaving at a time when Red Bull is facing heat –
Horner: “No, absolutely not. This has been coming for some time. There was discussion pretty much 12 months ago that it might have been the time for Adrian to look at stepping back. I know it’s been on his mind for some time. It’s been something that we’ve been having to plan for. And what better time to go than the run of form that we’ve had over the last couple of seasons with the way that the team is performing. He’s stepping aside, not leaving the company but stepping aside from Formula 1 while we’re right at the top of our game. We’ll be very sad to see him go, he’s been an immense part of our team over the last, pretty much, two decades. It’ll be with sadness that we see him depart, but also, everything, the show goes on.”
Joining rival team –
Horner: “Adrian is going to take some time out, first, and think about… He’s 65 years of age, I think he’s earned that right, to have a bit of time out, spend some time with his wife and family – that’s what he’s very keen to do. Then if he decides he wants to have another run of Formula 1, who knows? The ironic thing is, Adrian has always hated every regulation change. 2026 is a unique one, because it’s both chassis and engine regs. It’s a very different world these days with the cost cap and the restrictions that we have on resource.”
Thoughts on Newey leaving Red Bull –
Brown: “Sounds like all the same questions the drivers got. Am I surprised? Six months ago, I would have been surprised. I think given everything that’s gone on since the start of the year and knowing Adrian pretty well, and he’s a very high-integrity individual, I’m not surprised he’s moving on. The stuff that’s going on there is a bit destabilising. It’s probably the first domino to fall. My guess is not the last based on the resumes that are flying around. And as far as McLaren’s concerned, I’m very happy with all the work the men and women at McLaren are doing. I think we’ve started to show since last year, second half of last year, that they know how to put performance on the car. So I’ve got all the faith in the world with the team that we have.
“We’re on a quest to get back to the front, and I think we have the people, the talent, the equipment, the drivers to get there, so we’re going to just stay the course. And yes, we’ve seen an increase in CVs coming our way from the team. And I think Adrian is the most successful designer of all time. So in addition to the technical that he brings to the racing team, people want to work for people like Adrian Newey and work alongside him. So I think they will be missing what he brings to the team from a pure technical point of view. And then I think the leadership and the excitement people get from working with him will be missed.”
Vowles: “I mean, almost word for word what I was going to say. He’s an incredible character that has huge accolades behind him in the sport, well known for being the best designer really in his field. And that will have an impact, there’s no doubt about it. How much he was involved in Red Bull or not, I couldn’t say. We’re not buried within there. But what I can say is it will have an impact. Of course it will, someone of his character and his strength.”
Krack: “If someone of that skills and experience and qualities is leaving a team, it has an impact. On the other hand, there will be others. There are always opportunities as well for other people. It’s a team sport these days. It’s very, very large teams that work together. To say much more, you have to be in the team, really, because each team is also a little bit differently structured, differently working, so to really say what impact it will have, it would be a pure guess.”
Mekies: “Well, you know, for sure it’s a huge loss for Red Bull Racing. It is not affecting our project, obviously, that part of the car being completely independent. But, you know, I think it will be a loss for any team losing somebody of the calibre of Adrian. I think the guys have said everything, you know, the records speak for themselves. So, for sure, it’s not going to be unnoticed. I think everyone was honest enough to say that every team had or has Adrian on his list. So, of course, I think all of us have been discussing with him and I’m sure even more right now that now the possibility becomes a bit more concrete.”
Pursuing Newey to join –
Vowles: “I mean, it was a light conversation more than anything else, saying it can’t have been an easy decision and fundamentally wanting just to have an additional chat about things. But from a Williams perspective, obviously, that’s where Adrian really cut his teeth for the first time. And I think we’re a team without politics. It’s a small team that’s trying to make our way back to the front. And I think it could fit very perfectly for someone that wants to potentially dig into a challenge like that. More than that, I mean, what is great about Williams is that it has retained the family feel to it. We’re not driven by an OEM. We’re driven by just a group of individuals that want to be there. And it’s all about really racing. And hopefully some of that plays to his strengths. And then finally with Adrian, you have someone with his accolades, with his touch. There’s not a team he hasn’t been to – and that includes McLaren, ourselves, Red Bull – where he hasn’t made a significant difference. And I think anyone here would be foolish not to at least open some conversation with him at that stage.”
Krack: “I think I said it already, I have not really much to add and also I echo what the guys have already said. I think the record and the history speaks for itself. If someone like that is leaving a team, it’s always causing say the turmoil that it is creating. I think we speak about nothing else about the last two weeks in the media, which is good, because we speak about Formula 1. But then, yeah, I already confirmed a couple of weeks ago. I think it was a clear answer, but nobody really took it seriously. So, we are quite happy with our technical team and we continue with them.”
Brown: “I think you’re right. I mean, as everyone said, with a resume and a track record like Adrian Newey, Adrian’s going to add value to any racing team. But we’re very happy with the trajectory that we’re on. Never say never. But I’m very happy with the team, the technical leadership, the way Andrea is running the racing team. And we’ve got a plan and we’re going to keep head down. And of course, always look for opportunities to make additive additions to the racing team.”
Here’s what F1 drivers say about Adrian Newey
Here’s news of Adrian Newey leaving Red Bull
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