The Christian Horner “inappropriate behavior” allegations reportedly began a power struggle at Red Bull that has seemingly left CTO Adrian Newey unsettled. However, the power struggle is not the only reason for Newey feeling unsettled. It is also an off-beat project of Red Bull that is bothering him, as per German reporter Michael Schmidt.
Schmidt, in a recent video on his YouTube channel, said, “You can tell from him, I spoke to him a while ago, he is suffering enormously from this situation, from this power struggle there, because the atmosphere is just, I would say, a bit cold.”
The AMuS reporter shed light on Red Bull’s hypercar project, the RB17, which is the additional root cause of Newey’s “suffering”. Newey has been heavily invested in the project since its inception. The Briton, however, reportedly cannot leave even if he wants to. That is because his contract stipulates his stay until the hypercar is ready.
This clause in his contract is perhaps also the reason why Newey is keen on selling it. According to Schmidt, the 65-year-old arrived in Tokyo a week before the Japanese GP. The reason was a joint meeting with Christian Horner and “a rich Japanese person” to persuade them to buy the project.
Is Adrian Newey keen on leaving Red Bull?
Michael Schmidt spilled the beans on the look inside the Red Bull home during his recent visit. The aftermath of the Christian Horner controversy has caused divisions among the top brass. Horner is reportedly in damage control mode, reaching out to the staff and trying to make friends.
Helmut Marko, on the other hand, is often seen sitting separately at a table with his Austrian counterparts. Meanwhile, Adrian Newey, who is disinterested in politics, is left working in isolation. As per Schmidt, “That breaks Newey because he is a person who really only wants to concentrate on his cars.”
All this while, the offers haven’t stopped for Newey. He is arguably one of the most sought-after aerodynamicists, having won 25 championships. Just recently, reports claimed that Aston Martin had offered him a lucrative deal.
The Red Bull CTO, however, has a desire to work with Ferrari. In one of his interviews on the Beyond The Grid podcast, Newey confessed that he regrets not having received the opportunity to work with the Prancing Horse during his long F1 career.
He also revealed his desire to work with the likes of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. At least two of those desires can come true if he joins Maranello in 2025, with the British driver joining the side next year.
