Adrian Newey has submitted an official letter of resignation to Red Bull, according to reports.
According to Autosport, the motorsport giant’s generation leader communicated the reason for its resolution in a letter and an announcement confirming that the news could come just before the Miami Grand Prix. The legendary car designer has been with Red Bull since 2006 and has played a pivotal role in their success.
The 65-year-old looks ready for a new challenge and his current contract with Red Bull, signed last year, will be his last. A Red Bull spokesperson, contacted via Mirror Sport last week, said: “Adrian is under contract until at least the end of 2025 and we don’t know if he will join the team. “
Autosport adds that a decisive factor in Newey’s resolve was the severance of his relationship with team boss Christian Horner. An ongoing civil war within the manufacturer following allegations made against the team principal is said to have worried Newey.
Horner accused a colleague of mischaracter behaviour who sacked him following an investigation. However, the complainant appealed the outcome.
Dates between Newey and Horner have hinted that they have gone awry in the past. Reportedly, Newey was unimpressed during a 2023 interview in which Horner noted that the F1 race designer’s role had been altered. The Red Bull veteran picked up on comments that “the technical team under his leadership, led by Pierre Wache, is doing a glorious job and is not dependent on Adrian”, as Horner intended to highlight his importance and minimise the contribution of others.
On this occasion, Newey’s wife even shared the interview on X. He shared it with the comment, “What crap. “
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Speaking ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, Newey did not rule out the option of an exit. However, at this point it didn’t look like he was making plans to leave the F1 champions anytime soon.
He said, “I appreciate [that]. From the time I was about 10 years old, at 12, I sought to be a designer (I don’t think I know the word ‘engineer’) in motorsport and, ideally, in Formula Rope. “1. This is what I’ve been doing all my adolescence. I managed to land that first role in auto racing after graduating.
“I enjoyed it immensely and I still do. So I think as long as I continue to enjoy it and the team needs me, I’ll continue to do it from time to time, we’ll have to see in the future. “”In the future, I don’t tend to plan too far ahead. “
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