Former McLaren mechanic Marc Priestley had recently revealed that the Christian Horner controversy at Red Bull was going to come back to haunt the team in a big way soon. With BBC Sport confirming the news of Adrian Newey’s imminent departure from the team, Priestley’s prediction may just come true.
Veteran F1 correspondent Andrew Benson has reported that Newey has expressed his desire to leave the Milton-Keynes-based team. One of the major factors leading to the Briton making this decision was his “unhappiness” with how Red Bull had handled the Christian Horner saga.
Red Bull GmbH had launched an investigation against Horner after a female employee lodged a complaint of inappropriate behavior towards her. An independent barrister later dismissed the grievance against Horner. However, the employee in question has now appealed this decision.
If Newey does end up leaving Red Bull because of this saga, his exit could have massive ramifications on the driver market as well. Max Verstappen has also reportedly been unhappy with the situation in the team. The Dutchman could see Newey’s loss as a sign of things going awry and may decide to leave Red Bull as a result.
Toto Wolff and Mercedes are keen to sign the three-time world champion as a replacement for Lewis Hamilton. In any case, if Newey leaves, it will definitely be a huge blow for the defending Constructors’ champions.
Newey has been instrumental in the team’s dominance during the recent ground-effect era. Hence, his departure could result in the beginning of the end of Red Bull’s current run of terror in the sport. Many experts believe that Adrian Newey could head to Ferrari if he leaves Milton Keynes.
Is Adrian Newey heading to Ferrari?
Auto Motor und Sport has reported sighting Adrian Newey in Bologna. This could suggest that the 65-year-old is considering a move to Maranello. If this turns out to be true, it could be huge news for Ferrari who are also welcoming seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton into the team from next year onwards.
In the past, Newey has admitted that the one thing he rues about not having accomplished in his illustrious career is working with Lewis Hamilton. Together, the duo could form a formidable and iconic alliance – taking Ferrari back to their championship-winning days.
De Telegraaf’s Erik van Haren had also revealed how Red Bull were prepared for Newey’s departure for a while now. Moreover, within the camp, many individuals were reportedly downplaying Newey’s role, especially with the latest ground-effect regulations.
