Erik Van Haren Explains Why Adrian Newey Is Still Desirable Despite Insiders Diluting His Influence on RB20

Adrian Newey’s exit rumors raised multiple eyebrows as the veteran aerodynamicist has spent about two decades at Red Bull. Newey’s departure naturally means a colossal blow for the Austrian team. The British engineer has been the mastermind behind Red Bull’s current dominance and their past glory too. However, an insider reported that Newey does not have the same influence he had earlier, and losing him will not affect the team heavily. Journalist Erik Van Haren begs to differ on the same, though.

According to reports that surfaced, Newey did not have much influence in the mighty RB20. Some statements inadvertently hinted at the 65-year-old not getting credit for this year’s car. Van Haren, in his column with De Telegraaf, wrote the same, but added something more.

Van Haren understands that Newey might have less influence in the RB20 this season, but his overall knowledge about Red Bull challengers is quite extensive. Therefore, a man with an ocean of information such as Newey would automatically become a golden goose for rivals.

Rivals such as Ferrari or Aston Martin, Newey’s rumored destinations in the future, would be more than happy to have the 65-year-old at their team. That too, with all the useful information available from Milton Keynes.

Newey worked as Red Bull‘s primary man behind all things technical for nearly two decades. Even though they still have Pierre Wache, Paul Monaghan and Phil Turner, Newey’s vision and experience will be a huge vacuum. All in all, Newey’s switch to a rival team would be detrimental for the Milton Keynes outfit on all sides, to say the least.

The Adrian Newey transfer saga

According to reports, Adrian Newey decided to part ways with Red Bull after the British engineer was unsettled by the Christian Horner controversy within the team. Just when the controversy seemed to have died down, Newey’s decision to depart reignited the fire once again.

If Newey makes the surprising switch, he would need to abide by the mandatory gardening leave rule if he wants to work with another team in the future. As things stand, the 65-year-old might have an outside chance of working late into the 2025 season. If not, Newey has to start afresh from 2026, under the new regulations.

Ferrari and Aston Martin, being the front-runners to sign Adrian Newey, would need to pay a hefty amount to take the Briton on board.

Adrian Newey, over the course of his F1 career, won 25 combined [Drivers’ and Constructors’] titles, and is regarded as one of the most successful engineers of the sport. Therefore, it is unlikely that Red Bull would let him leave easily and shut down these rumors about his exit.