Adrian Newey with notebook in-hand.
According to Sky F1’s Craig Slater, Adrian Newey felt “underappreciated” at Red Bull while some of his colleagues are relishing the chance to thrive in his absence, free of his “capricious working methods”.
On Wednesday, a surprising announcement was made that Newey will depart from Red Bull “after the first quarter of 2025.” However, despite this announcement, his involvement with the Formula 1 team has already come to an end, marking the conclusion of a longstanding association that witnessed Red Bull’s remarkable ascent to dominating the sport and setting numerous records.
Did tension in Red Bull design team contribute to Adrian Newey exit?
Newey was celebrated as the genius behind Red Bull’s domination of Formula 1’s ground effect era. However, Sky F1 presenter Simon Lazenby mentioned that some of Newey’s colleagues were displeased with the level of recognition he received, considering he worked only 150 days a year. Nevertheless, it is important to note that this was the agreed-upon arrangement between Newey and Red Bull.
Lazenby added that there are disgruntled individuals in the technical department who feel that he is receiving too much credit.
Slater would verify the rumors of dissatisfaction, stating that Newey believes he is not being recognized enough for his contributions and that a disagreement with team principal Christian Horner has also influenced his choice to depart from Red Bull.
Slater initiated by stating, “In my opinion, there is a bigger picture and a series of shorter incidents that have resulted in New Newey’s departure.”
In the grand scheme of things, I believe Christian Horner deserves credit for successfully maintaining Adrian Newey’s satisfaction for 18 years and overseeing the creation of numerous side projects, among other accomplishments.
“He was convinced to sign a new contract last May, despite his initial reluctance. I’ve been informed that he had contemplated leaving during that period as well.”
However, I believe recent occurrences have played a role. There has undeniably been a rift, which I believe we must acknowledge, between him and Christian Horner. Over the past year, a noticeable distance has grown between these two individuals.
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Furthermore, the ongoing civil war within Red Bull, characterized by the conflict between the Thai majority owners and the Austrian owners, particularly Mark Mateschitz, son of Dietrich Mateschitz, has significantly contributed to an unfavorable working environment for Newey. Consequently, he has been left feeling undervalued for his exceptional contributions to the company.
“There are individuals in the design office who are rather satisfied with his departure. They regarded his working methods as unpredictable, and now they have the opportunity to demonstrate that Adrian Newey is not the sole factor in success.”
However, there is a more extensive background to this situation, and we should not solely attribute the departure to the current controversy surrounding Christian Horner.
Regarding their performance on the racetrack, Red Bull aims to secure their fifth victory of the F1 2024 season in Miami this weekend. It is worth noting that Max Verstappen, their three-time World Champion and current leader in the Drivers’ Championship, has never been defeated at this venue.
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