Adrian Newey is reportedly leaving Red Bull Racing.
According to the BBC, the team’s chief technical officer will be leaving the team “following controversy surrounding allegations against team principal Christian Horner”. Newey, 65, is one of the great car designers in modern F1 history and is largely responsible for how dominant Red Bull’s cars have been since the latest F1 rule review in 2022.
Horner was accused of inappropriate behavior by team employees, but the charges were ultimately dismissed after an independent investigation. The sacking comes just before the start of the 2024 F1 season in Bahrain.
“Red Bull is confident that the investigation was fair, rigorous and impartial,” the team said in a statement in February. “As the investigation report is confidential and contains personal information of parties and third parties who cooperated with the investigation, out of respect for all involved, we will not be commenting further.”
There has been little transparency surrounding the investigation, and the accuser was reportedly suspended by Red Bull after the charges were dismissed. Immediately after the announcement of Horner’s innocence, a document purportedly related to the allegations was sent to a number of journalists covering F1.
Could Newey’s departure shake up F1?
It’s understandable to wonder if Newey’s departure will end Red Bull’s dominance. After Max Verstappen won the 2021 title in controversial circumstances, he has become the series’ dominant driver over the past two years thanks to his skill and incredibly fast Red Bull car.
Verstappen has had the best season in F1 history on his way to winning his third title in 2023. Verstappen won 19 of the 22 races and finished on the podium 21 times. His lowest finish of the season was fifth place in Singapore.
Verstappen won four of the first five races of the 2024 season, but was unable to finish the Australian Grand Prix due to early mechanical problems.
This current Red Bull car is not the first dominant car designed by Newey. Newey is the lead designer at Red Bull, where Sebastian Vettel won four consecutive championships from 2010 to 2013, and also designed the Williams car that won five consecutive constructors’ titles from 1992 to 1997.
According to the BBC, Newey’s contract with Red Bull runs until 2025, but he could end his contract early and work for another team next season. He will soon be coveted across the garage and Ferrari has previously been mentioned as a potential destination should he switch teams. Ferrari is set to add seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton to the team in 2025 and has been the second fastest car on the grid after Red Bull since the start of the 2023 season.