The principal of the Red Bull team has spoken about the departure of the British designer. This week, Red Bull officially announced the departure of designer Adrian Newey for the upcoming season, a key figure in the team since his arrival in 2006.
The Anglo-Austrian team is confident in its ability to move forward independently, relying on its technical department led by Pierre Waché. However, there is curiosity about what prospects Red Bull may have without one of its historical key figures – alongside Christian Horner and Helmut Marko.
This morning in Miami, Adrian Newey gathered the team at the box, delivering a farewell speech to the squad, as he will leave his role to focus on the RB17 hypercar until early 2025.
After the FP1, team principal Christian Horner gave an interview to Sky Italia, discussing the departure of the former Red Bull technical director: “We knew it would happen for a while, and we had planned the succession in the technical team, which Adrian helped create.
“He felt it was time to step aside. He’s been working hard in the team for 20 years and thought this was the right moment.
“The team is in great shape; he thought of taking a break and leaving the work to the rest of the technical team. Seeing him leave is sad because he’s been such an important part of our team and always will be. Life will be a bit different without Adrian, but we are in excellent condition.”
An inevitable question about Newey’s possible move to Ferrari arose: “I know there are many speculations about it, but honestly, I think he will take some time off. Then who knows what the future holds; we don’t know if he will decide to return to F1 after a while.
“You never know; it’s hard to speculate. We are very grateful for the 20 years spent together, and I believe it’s been his longest period, a fantastic ride.”
On the future organizational chart at Red Bull: “Adrian is a unique character, he’s a free spirit. He worked on a limited number of days in recent years, so the structure will not change.
“Adrian will no longer enter that structure; he will focus on the RB17, the car we are producing, and it will be a kind of legacy of his time at Red Bull. From now until the end of the contract, he will focus on this.”
On the future: “We’ve won 4 out of 5 GPs. Everyone is focused on the races, and there’s a wonderful atmosphere. Adrian has decided to take a step back and take some time off, and I think he’s deserved it.
“It’s something he’s thought about for a long time, and I think it’s the right time, having a strong team. Life goes on; it’s an important chapter in Red Bull’s history, and now a new one begins.”
