‘If You Know What’s Going On…’: Max Verstappen Blames Red Bull Turmoil for Adrian Newey Exit

Not a lot of time has gone by since Red Bull announced the departure of Adrian Newey from the team in early 2025. The entire F1 community was taken by surprise at the announcement, given Newey has been on good terms with Christian Horner. Speaking about the same, Max Verstappen recently claimed that if one knew everything that was happening within Red Bull, they wouldn’t find the move much of a shock.

Translated and quoted in an update by @F1GuyDan, the Dutch driver conceded Newey’s influence within the team was diminishing. Preferring a situation where the Briton stayed with Red Bull, Verstappen revealed Newey’s role in Red Bull had changed over the years. Hence, while things may look dramatic from the outside, the reality is much different. 

Key quote here, Max Verstappen says he would have preferred Adrian Newey to stay but “if you know what’s going on inside the team, it’s not as dramatic as it seems.” https://t.co/JkonjO6MGZ pic.twitter.com/5AZ1V65MRF

— Daniel Valente ️ (@F1GuyDan) May 2, 2024

“From the outside it looks very dramatic, but I think if you actually know what is happening inside the team it is not as dramatic as it seems.”, said the 26-year-old.

With Newey leaving, the reigning world champion doesn’t believe a lot will change in Milton Keynes. Given his role had already shifted, the day-to-day operations would hardly see a change.

However, Verstappen added it was also important to continue evolving as a team. He also showed faith in the technical team, as he said they had “incredible quality” in them.

Having shown the same over the last few years, Verstappen continues to have faith in the team’s project. But even if he didn’t, the Dutchman doesn’t think it his responsibility to convince anyone to stay. 

Max Verstappen is not willing to go out of his way to convince people to stay

Given the turmoil within the Red Bull camp, it would hardly be a surprise to see more people walk away. However, Verstappen doesn’t concern himself with the decisions of others. For Verstappen, if someone wants to leave, they should be allowed to leave.

Thus, the Dutchman doesn’t believe he needs to convince anyone to stay where they don’t want to. He further revealed that he even wrote the same thing to Newey in a message.

Max Verstappen stressed to Adrian Newey the importance of making the best decision for himself, which it turns out was to secure his Red Bull exit.#MaxVerstappen #AdrianNewey #RedBull #Formula1 #F1 pic.twitter.com/ICF7qCzdFs

— PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) May 3, 2024

Despite the differences in the team, communication is still strong. Hence, Verstappen told Newey that if he thought that the decision was right for him and his family, he should go for it. The Dutch driver understands that every person in F1 wants what’s best for themselves and that the sport is a “shark tank.”

With Newey gone, the three-time world champion continues to have faith in the remaining key personnel within the team. Amid all of the controversies that have hit Red Bull, Verstappen claimed it is important to not lose focus. 

He added one needs to feel comfortable with the people they are working with to ensure the best results. “I think it’s always very important to remain calm and focus on your job, know who you’re working with, feel comfortable.”