On May 1, 2024, Red Bull officially announced the departure of Adrian Newey.
Following confirmation of Adrian Newey’s departure, Martin Brundle believes Red Bull have to ensure they don’t also lose Max Verstappen or a “cascade” of other key personnel.
While there have been numerous headlines and rumors revolving around Verstappen’s departure from Red Bull this year, Newey surprised everyone by announcing on Wednesday that this would be his final full year with the team.
‘Of course, Red Bull have both – had both’
The renowned design expert, responsible for leading cars to victory in 25 championships, with an impressive 13 titles earned alongside Red Bull exclusively, has announced their departure from the team in early 2025. Until then, their primary focus will be dedicated to the development of Red Bull’s RB17 hypercar.
Whether the Briton’s departure will be the catalyst for others leaving is yet to be determined.
It has Jos Verstappen claiming the team is “in danger of falling apart” while Mika Hakkinen says it could “destabilise” the team.
Brundle, though, believes Red Bull will be okay, if they hold onto triple World Champion Max Verstappen and avoid a “house of cards” collapse in the design team.
“He told Sky Sports that the word genius is frequently used, and he wholeheartedly agrees. Adrian Newey has a knack for joining a team and quickly leading them to multiple World Championships.”
“He possesses a comprehensive understanding of aerodynamics, focusing on the broader perspective. He is exceptionally intelligent.”
Without a doubt, Adrian Newey and Max Verstappen would be the top two individuals on my list if I were starting a Formula 1 team. And, as expected, Red Bull had both of them.
I believe that Adrian Newey will be participating in several engineering meetings and a few Grand Prix races over the next year and a half. However, he will not have an active role in the Formula 1 team as a whole, particularly due to the significant regulation changes expected in 2026. Given his expertise and experience, his involvement during that period would be crucial.
“They will be completing the RB17 hypercar, which he is collaborating on with the team.”
In my opinion, the crucial factor to consider is whether there will be a domino effect of other team members resigning. I am uncertain if that will happen.
There may be numerous skill sets, including engineering skills, and individuals who are thinking that this is an opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities, rather than solely relying on Adrian Newey.
In my opinion, as long as they manage to retain Max Verstappen and avoid a scenario where crucial staff members depart, I believe they will be able to weather the storm.
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‘Adrian has been unhappy from time to time for quite a period of years now’
In February, there were suggestions that Newey was dissatisfied with Red Bull due to the Christian Horner controversy. However, Brundle believes that Newey has been unhappy for a considerable number of years.
Speculating on what might have been the ultimate tipping point is difficult, but according to Brundle, there is undoubtedly a certain factor that has compelled him to consider leaving the team that has secured championships.
According to the ex-F1 driver, Adrian has been experiencing periods of unhappiness for quite a few years during his time at Red Bull. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about it, but he has finally made the decision to depart.
“He signed a new contract that extends until the end of 2025. According to the press release, he is set to depart in the first quarter of 2025, which could either be on January 1st or March 31st, I suppose.”
“I am astonished by this development. In my opinion, Red Bull stands a great chance of winning both this championship and next year’s World Championship. Considering the significant amount he gets paid, there must be something that has compelled him to leave Red Bull.”
Read next: The fall of the Red Bull empire? What Newey’s exit means for Horner and Verstappen
