Ever since the calendar started reading 2024, life within the Red Bull camp hasn’t been easy. The team has been a part of several controversies over the last 4 months, leading to many employees feeling out of place in Milton Keynes. Stemming from the same, there have been rumors about Adrian Newey wanting to leave the team. Addressing the situation, F1 expert Robert Doornbos recently claimed he has heard Newey might not be renewing his contract with his current employers.
In an interview with F1 Maximaal, Doornbos said, “What I have heard is that Adrian Newey will no longer renew his contract.”
Ever since the rumors surfaced, all of the teams of the grid have been interested in poaching the aerodynamic genius. With top teams having a better chance to secure his services, Mercedes and Ferrari have emerged as strong contenders to bring him to their team. Not being able to have worked with Ferrari or Lewis Hamilton in his career is among the few regrets of Newey’s life. With the two entities joining forces in 2025, Maranello could become a more than ideal destination for the British Engineer.
Newey has been with Red Bull for nearly two decades. After leaving McLaren, he joined Red Bull in 2006 following a major increase in pay offered by the team. The involvement of Christian Horner also played a crucial role in the proceedings, given the two share a close friendship. Under Newey, Red Bull turned the tide in their favor, winning back-to-back championships from 2010 to 2013. The Milton Keynes-based team returned to championship-winning ways in 2022, defending the crown in 2023.
Adrian Newey on the verge of exiting Red Bull?
Rumors aside, a sensational development occurred when news erupted of Aston Martin reaching out to Adrian Newey. The English team wanted to poach Newey’s services by offering him a ‘big money‘ move. Lawrence Stroll has adopted an aggressive approach in trying to win a championship for his team, and securing Newey’s services is a part of the same approach. Helmut Marko addressed the rumors and claimed losing Newey would certainly put his team at a disadvantage. However, the Red Bull team is more than just one man, and the team shouldn’t have too much of a problem in healing from the loss.
Meanwhile, problems still surround Red Bull with Christian Horner at the helm. Allegations and investigations have rocked the setup, which has also led to Newey wanting to stay away from the chaos. The suspended female employee is now reportedly seeking legal action against Horner after not reaching a satisfactory conclusion via the internal investigation. Furthermore, news about an internal power struggle between Horner and Marko continues to surface. It caught further wind when Marko was missing from Red Bull’s team photo following their race win in Suzuka.
