Recent speculations about Adrian Newey’s departure from Red Bull Racing have been circulating. The internal unrest within Red Bull Racing following the termination of the investigation into Christian Horner has fueled speculation about potential exits, including those of Max Verstappen and Adrian Newey.
During the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend, tensions escalated when Red Bull’s motorsport consultant, Helmut Marko, hinted at the possibility of being suspended by Red Bull GmbH and left the paddock.
Max Verstappen publicly affirmed his allegiance to Marko, indicating that his involvement with Red Bull Racing hinges on Marko’s presence within the team.
Marko returned to the paddock accompanied by Red Bull GmbH CEO Oliver Mintzlaff, asserting his commitment to fulfilling his three-year contract after discussions with Mintzlaff, which seemed to stabilize Verstappen’s stance.
Despite these developments, rumors persist regarding Adrian Newey’s potential departure. Speculations suggest that Newey, the renowned car designer behind Red Bull’s championship-winning machinery for the past 17 years, maybe considering leaving due to the team’s internal upheaval.
Some reports claim that he has been reassigned to the RB17 hypercar project instead of focusing on Formula 1.
However, sources close to the situation have informed that there are no indications of Newey departing Red Bull.
While there have been suggestions of him potentially joining Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari in Maranello or moving to Mercedes in the UK, Red Bull has confirmed that Newey remains committed to the RB17 project and will resume his Formula 1 duties, with plans to attend the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix.
Furthermore, rumors regarding Newey’s discontent within the organization are exaggerated, as he reportedly signed a new long-term contract with Red Bull Racing last May.
“I think that there’s probably too much said already by other parties,” he said.
“The team is the team, Max is part of the team, Helmut is part of the team, I lead this team, and everybody has a key role to play.”
During the weekend, there were speculations surrounding Horner’s future, suggesting that Thai majority shareholder Chalerm Yoovidhya might have shifted his support away from Horner.
Shareholders are reportedly still supporting Horner following the internal investigation. Last week, Red Bull Racing suspended the employee at the center of the investigation, with reasons believed to be linked to dishonesty.
A spokesperson for the racing team said: “As Christian has said, he is grateful for the full support of the shareholders and that remains the case.”
