Earlier this season, Adrian Newey’s departure from Red Bull became official, and although the Brit is yet to formally leave, the Milton-Keynes-based outfit is already showing signs of struggling. There isn’t any direct link between the two, but even a coincidence is difficult to ignore. Accepting Newey’s absence back in the Red Bull factory, his (rumored) successor Pierre Wache reveals how the team is coping.
“People really liked him as a person, and now he’s leaving,” said Wache as quoted by F1’s official website. “We are completely focused on our work if I have to be honest. We currently have three cars to work on.”
Newey still travels to F1 races representing Red Bull but isn’t working actively on the RB20 anymore. However, his association with the team remains. The 65-year-old continues to work on the RB17 hyper-car set to be unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July 2024.
Wache, however, didn’t want to discuss Newey’s absence at length. He shifted the focus to how Red Bull has its hands full.
Currently, they are working hard on improving the RB20 to finish the 2024 season on top. At the same time, work on its successor has also begun at the factory. To add to the pressure, Red Bull has to keep one eye out for the 2026 challenger, as it will feature a brand-new concept, owing to the regulation changes.
Red Bull continues to put in efforts to maintain and build on its recent dominance. However, rivals on the track have noticed cracks within the team. And are waiting for a chance to capitalize on the same.
Adrian Newey- the first of many to leave Red Bull
Red Bull appears to be surprisingly relaxed about Newey’s departure, considering he is one of F1’s best car designers of all time. The restructuring they did to their technical department is a major reason behind that, but McLaren CEO Zak Brown sees more entities following Newey in the coming months.
As reported by the BBC, Brown feels that the internal problems within Red Bull are still at large. “The stuff going on there is pretty destabilizing. I’m guessing [Newey] won’t be the last [person to leave], given the resumes that are flying around.”
Red Bull insists that Brown talking about the number of employees applying to other jobs is exaggerated. However, even Mercedes boss Toto Wolff seconded Brown’s claims that there are many at the Austrian stable who are looking for a way out.
