Adrian Newey is set to bid farewell to Red Bull in early 2025, marking the end of an illustrious tenure spanning nearly two decades at the Milton Keynes-based outfit.
In response to Newey’s impending departure, Fernando Alonso has rebuffed suggestions that Red Bull is on the verge of collapse. Despite the team’s impressive performance at the start of the season, securing four victories in six races, Red Bull has faced challenges stemming from off-track issues.
Earlier this year, team principal Christian Horner faced scrutiny following allegations made by a female staff member, prompting an investigation.
Despite being cleared of any wrongdoing, Horner faced public criticism from Jos Verstappen, father of driver Max Verstappen, who warned of potential internal strife if Horner retained his position.
Subsequently, it became apparent that a power struggle was unfolding within the company, with tensions escalating between the Thai and Austrian factions. This discord culminated in Newey’s decision to depart from Red Bull.
When questioned about the possibility of Red Bull’s unraveling, Alonso asserted to the media: “I don’t think so.”
“Obviously, they are dominating the sport since 2021 and when something outside the race weekend is happening, there is a lot of news generated by that team.
“They are the ones that everyone wants to beat and everyone wants to destabilize them in a way to make sure that you are able to beat them on track.
“If you lose your technical director or your designer in another team, it will be a little bit less news than if it happens on the winning team.
“But let’s see, what happens in the future. I think the most important thing for everyone is the 2026 regulations. Adrian made the most of the current regulations, the ones that started in 2022.
“The 2014 regulations [it] was Mercedes making the most of them. You never know what is going to happen in 2026. We want to be the Mercedes of 2014 or the Red Bull of 2022. A lot of teams are hoping for that.”
Alonso showered accolades on Newey for his significant impact on Formula 1, acknowledging his long-standing desire to collaborate with the British engineer.
“I always wanted to work with him, once in my life,” Alonso remarked. “I respect him a lot. I consider him the best probably of Formula 1 ever had, a legend of the sport, and I feel in a way privileged to drive alongside him in the paddock and obviously as a competitor.”
Last year, Newey expressed mutual sentiments, revealing that not collaborating with Alonso, as well as Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari, were poignant regrets in his career.
In previous years, Alonso engaged in discussions about potentially joining Red Bull, with the Spaniard disclosing that Newey played a pivotal role in those deliberations.
“I was close a few times, I even spoke with him a few times. Some of the meetings in the past were not only with Christian and Helmut [Marko], some of them were actually with Adrian,” he stated.
“I always expressed my admiration to him and he always shared his respect also to me. Let’s see what he does in the future.”
