Red Bull Racing CTO Adrian Newey could leave the team ahead of the 2026 season, potentially joining rivals Ferrari or Aston Martin. This is apparently because Newey is unhappy with the unrest that the situation surrounding team boss Christian Horner has caused since the allegations against TP were made in February this year.
Newey, considered the greatest Formula 1 designer in history, has told Red Bull he wants to move on. The British design boss has close ties to Ferrari and is known to have received an offer from Aston Martin, but he will likely be of interest to all leading teams as his availability is known.
Newey’s contract with Red Bull runs until the end of 2025, but he is said to believe he can negotiate an exit that will allow him to work with another team from next season.
The German news agency Auto Motor Und Sport first reported his departure from the team. They confirmed that his desire to leave was due to his dissatisfaction with the situation surrounding Horner, which has led to a multi-faceted power struggle at Red Bull.
As Chief Technical Officer of Red Bull, Newey no longer works on Formula 1 full-time – he is also involved in other projects at the company, such as the upcoming RB17 supercar.
Senior sources at Red Bull say the team has not received a formal resignation from Newey, who is under contract in his role as technical director of the Milton Keynes-based team until at least the end of 2025, and that they believe there is still room for a resignation There is a dialogue with the 65-year-old.
IS VERSTAPPEN’S FUTURE IN DOUBT AGAIN?
Since the allegations against Horner became public, much of the media has focused on the question of whether uncertainty at the top of the team could lead to Verstappen making a surprise departure from a car that has brought him historic dominance.
The saga reached its climax at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in March, when Verstappen suggested following the Austrian from the team amid reports that Marko was on the verge of leaving.
The comment from Wolff, who admitted he would “love” Verstappen to fill the vacancy at Mercedes caused by Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, came amid the apparent détente at Red Bull and Mercedes’ problems on track strange now suddenly make a lot more sense.
With Red Bull producing their own engine for the first time for the 2026 season, Newey’s absence would raise another big question mark over whether they can develop a title-challenging car.
Verstappen has a contract until 2028 but has previously admitted that whether he follows through on the deal, which is said to contain exit clauses, will play a role in whether Red Bull can continue to supply him with a winning car.
Where do you think Adrian will go next? Could we see him at Ferrari or Aston Martin? Possibly somewhere else, let me know in the comments.
Coverage from BBC Sport with additional input from Sky Sports F1; Check out both articles here: BBC
https://www.bbc.com/sport/articles/cmm3v9ny78eo
Sky Sports F1: https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/13123424/adrian-newey-how-legendary-designer-s-departure-from-red-bull-could-impact-max-verstappen-christian-horner- and-ferrari
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