Red Bull Racing design guru Adrian Newey, whose cars have dominated Formula One for decades, will leave the squad in the first quarter of next year – and he will spend his final months completing the company’s planned RB17 hypercar.
The 65-year-old joined the energy drink giant’s Formula 1 team in 2006 and was instrumental in its rise to become one of the sport’s leading teams. During his 19 years with Red Bull, the team won seven drivers’ championships, six constructors’ titles and 117 victories.
Newey is not directly employed by Red Bull Racing, but was Chief Technology Officer of the Red Bull Technology Group, and since 2014 his responsibilities have been expanded to include other projects outside of Formula 1. This job change served in part to stave off major pressure from Ferrari for Newey’s services.
As part of his role at Red Bull Technology Group, Newey was involved in the development of the Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar and has since begun work on Red Bull’s first hypercar, called the RB17. The car, due to be unveiled this year, is a 1250hp V8 mild hybrid with a reported price tag of £5 million, designed primarily for track use.
In a press release announcing Newey’s departure, Red Bull Racing said he would be “stepping back” from his F1 duties to “focus on the final development and delivery” of the RB17 and that he would continue “until its completion.” “Stay involved and committed to this exciting project.” .
In a statement, Newey said it had been “a great honor to have played a key role” in Red Bull’s F1 success, but added: “I think now is the right time to pass this baton to others and yourself to face new challenges for myself.”
Since moving to Red Bull, Newey has designed a string of title-winning teams for Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen. His 2023 car is the most dominant in F1 history. Before joining the squad, he was previously designed F1 race and title winners for Williams and McLaren.
Team boss Christian Horner said: “When Adrian came to Red Bull he was already a superstar designer. Two decades later he leaves the company a true legend.” Horner added that the RB17 “will be a worthy testament and legacy to his time with us.”
German title Auto Motor und Sport first revealed Newey’s plans to leave Red Bull last week, which the BBC later revealed was linked to the controversial situation surrounding the misconduct allegations against Horner. Earlier this year, an investigation cleared Horner of any wrongdoing, although the complainant has since appealed that decision.
The situation with Horner is said to have sparked a power struggle within Red Bull, which has left Newey dissatisfied.
Subsequent reports prior to Newey’s departure suggested that recent negotiations focused on the length of his “garden leave”, although it is unclear whether Newey will take another job or simply choose to retire from Formula 1 and focus on others Focus on projects and interests.