Christian Horner has expressed his admiration for Adrian Newey as he bids farewell.
Christian Horner has paid tribute to the departing Adrian Newey, and said he suspects the designer is off to enjoy some peace and quiet.
Newey and Red Bull have officially announced their separation after the first quarter of 2025. The future plans of the chief technical officer remain uncertain at this time.
Christian Horner: I’ll miss the camaraderie with Adrian Newey
Team boss Christian Horner, breaking his silence since Newey’s shocking confirmation, expressed his belief that Newey may be considering a hiatus from F1 amidst a flurry of speculation surrounding his potential moves to Ferrari or Aston Martin.
Over a year ago, Newey had contemplated departing from Red Bull, but he was persuaded to sign a new extensive agreement that would have kept him until the end of 2025. However, he will now exit before fulfilling this contract after engaging in negotiations with Red Bull.
Horner expressed his belief that Adrian has had an exceptional career during his interview with Sky F1 in Miami.
“He has dedicated the past 30 years of his life to his work… spending seven years with Williams, another seven years with McLaren, and the majority of his time, around 20 years, with our organization.”
“I believe that after conversing with him, he has come to the realization that our team is in excellent condition and performing exceptionally well. As a result, he feels that the present moment is ideal for him to step back and take a break.”
“He plans to continue working on his RB17, the track car we are designing, but he believes it is the right time to take a break.”
Red Bull will suffer a setback with Newey’s departure as they shift their focus towards constructing a car for the upcoming 2026 regulations. These regulations will introduce completely revolutionary rulebooks for both the chassis and power unit, demanding significant innovation in the next rules cycle.
Horner mentioned that Red Bull will be lacking Newey’s ability to consistently challenge the boundaries set by the regulations.
“He said that Adrian is an exceptional engineer who constantly strives for optimal performance, always pushing the boundaries with his challenges.”
“However, above all else, what I will miss the most is the sense of camaraderie. Throughout the past 18 years, we have experienced numerous moments of triumph and adversity together, and he has always been by my side on the pit wall.”
“There have been approximately 117 victories and numerous World Championships achieved throughout the journey. Of course, there were some challenging moments too! However, I will definitely miss the strong sense of camaraderie.”
As Red Bull’s period of dominance persists, the departure of Newey may be perceived as a potential loss of strength for the team. However, Horner clarified that Newey’s departure has been a well-thought-out process, with Newey himself playing a role in planning for his successor.
According to Horner, “We have established our fundamental pillars for the future, with the technical team all having long-term contracts.”
“We have been contemplating this moment for quite some time.”
I believe it was inevitable for this to happen eventually. The structure we have established, with Adrian’s valuable contribution in shaping it, is now well-prepared to carry on and create exceptional cars, just like what we have produced.
PlanetF1.com recommends
Red Bull RB17: The £5million hypercar that now has Adrian Newey’s full focus
Ranked: The top 10 most successful Adrian Newey Formula 1 car designs
Horner expressed his skepticism regarding Newey’s immediate signing with a rival team, despite rumors of his potential collaboration with Ferrari’s Fred Vasseur after their meeting in London earlier this week.
“He said he believes he will take some time off initially to contemplate since he is 65 years old.”
“I believe he has rightfully earned the privilege to take a break and dedicate some quality time to his wife and family. It is something he is truly eager to do.”
“Then, in case he chooses to make a comeback in Formula 1, well, anything is possible, right?”
Adrian has always despised any regulation change, which makes it ironic that 2026 brings a unique alteration in both chassis and engine regulations. However, the present era is vastly different, with the implementation of a cost cap and limitations on resources.
In recent months, there has been speculation that Newey’s departure could be connected to the team’s internal investigation by Red Bull GmbH into Horner’s conduct as team boss, causing turmoil within the team.
Red Bull has suspended the employee at the center of the investigation, and it has been falsely reported that Newey was annoyed by the team’s off-track dramas, according to PlanetF1.com.
According to Horner, the team tensions have absolutely no connection with Newey’s decision, as it has been a long time coming.
“He said there was a discussion about a year ago, suggesting that it was perhaps the right time for Adrian to consider taking a step back.”
I understand that it has been occupying his thoughts for a while.
We’ve been preparing for this and there couldn’t be a better time to go considering our remarkable performance in the last few seasons and the current form of our team.
“So, he will be taking a step back from Formula 1, but will still remain with the company, even though we are currently at the pinnacle of our success.”
“We will feel a great sense of sadness as we bid him farewell. He has been an integral member of our team for nearly two decades.”
However, it is with sadness that we bid him farewell, but as always, the show must go on.
Read Next: Logan Sargeant’s last race? Kimi Antonelli superlicence dispensation sought as Williams rumours swirl
