Red Bull has responded to reports of Adrian Newey’s purported intention to resign, stating that they are “unaware” of such plans, according to information provided to us.
The Formula 1 community was taken aback by the news circulating on Thursday, with reports, including those from the BBC, suggesting that Newey had informed Red Bull of his desire to step down from his position as chief technical officer.
Speculation is rife regarding potential destinations for Newey, including Ferrari, Aston Martin, or Mercedes.
However, Red Bull has clarified that Newey is under contract until at least the conclusion of 2025, adding, “we are unaware of him joining any other team.” Sky Sports correspondent Craig Slater has weighed in on the matter, stating, “I can tell you that I do believe there is something in this.”
“I’ve been ringing around senior figures within Formula 1, people who I know are close to Adrian Newey, to see if they can stand up the claims first made in the German media that he is set to leave, that he has given them notice of his intention to leave.
“Multiple senior figures that I’ve spoken to have expressed that there is discontent from Newey. He is certainly considering bringing his time at Red Bull to an end. I have been in touch via official channels with the Red Bull team themselves.
“They have explained to me that they are unaware of any official communication from Adrian Newey notifying of his intention to serve notice, and to leave Red Bull Racing, with whom he has had an association for almost 20 years.
“He is contracted at Red Bull Racing until the end of 2025. As I understand, he would have to serve a year of gardening leave if Red Bull hold him to the full extent of his contract. Which would mean he would not be able to work for another Formula 1 team until 2027.”
Newey holds a widely acknowledged status as Formula 1’s most esteemed car designer. His impact is palpable in Red Bull’s ongoing supremacy, exemplified by the RB20 poised to propel Max Verstappen toward a fourth consecutive title.
As noted by Slater, “The reason why Fernando Alonso only has two world championships is because of Newey, who built the cars that Sebastian Vettel drove to win four consecutive championships.
“I reckon if you gave most F1 team principals the option of having Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen as their driver pairing, or Newey as their chief designer, I think the majority of team bosses would take Newey. He is that good.
“He has built this current F1 car for Verstappen. Even with the rest of the field trying to close the gap in the third year of relatively stable regulations, Verstappen is still driving six tenths to a second per lap quicker.
“He is the most important signing that any team could make. If he were to go – or was put on gardening leave or was stood down – it would have a huge effect on Red Bull.
“It would seriously compromise their ability – maybe not this season – but next season onwards of dominating in the way that they have been.”
