Red Bull has confirmed its chief technical officer Adrian Newey is leaving after 19 years with them.
He will leave the team during the first quarter of next year, freeing him up to join a rival ahead of the introduction of F1’s new technical regulations in 2026.
Red Bull said Newey will cease his work on the team’s current F1 car immediately and will switch his attention to their forthcoming RB17 track car.
Newey has led Red Bull’s design team which produced two generations of cars which dominated Formula 1. His departure will be an immense blow to the reigning world champions.
“For almost two decades it has been my great honour to have played a key role in Red Bull Racing’s progress from upstart newcomer to multiple title-winning team,” said Newey. “However, I feel now is an opportune moment to hand that baton over to others and to seek new challenges for myself.”
Newey’s departure has been long rumoured following months of speculation that the 65-year-old was unhappy with Red Bull’s reaction to allegations levelled against team principal Christian Horner.
An internal investigation cleared Horner of inappropriate behaviour shortly before the season began. However Red Bull has revealed no details of the investigation and the complainant has lodged an appeal.
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Red Bull’s acquisition of Newey from rivals McLaren in 2005 helped to lay the groundwork for their run of championship titles between 2010 and 2013. His latest generation of designs propelled the team to unprecedented levels of success.
Newey believes the team are well placed to continue their domination of F1 into next year.
“I would like to thank the many amazing people I have worked with at Red Bull in our journey over the last 18 years for their talent, dedication and hard work,” he said. “It has been a real privilege, and I am confident that the engineering team are well prepared for the work going into the final evolution of the car under the four-year period of this regulation set.
“On a personal note, I would also like to thank the shareholders, the late Dietrich Mateschitz, Mark Mateschitz and Chalerm Yoovidhya for their unwavering support during my time at Red Bull, and Christian, who has not only been my business partner but also a friend of our respective families. Also, thanks to Oliver Mintzlaff for his stewardship and Eddie Jordan, my close friend and manager.”
Horner said Newey played a central role in all the…
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