Former McLaren mechanic Marc Priestley says he “learns by chance” that Red Bull figures are seriously considering leaving the team following Adrian Newey’s wonderful departure.
While Newey will officially leave Red Bull after the first quarter of 2025, his involvement with the Formula 1 team is over, and Red Bull is now at risk of more people joining the legendary F1 designer on his way out.
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has already weighed in on the situation, predicting that Newey would be the “first domino to fall”, and Priestley now speaks in the same vein from his information, as Red Bull tries to keep its key players in the wake of the off-track saga that hit the team last year.
Former Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley has been the subject of speculation about his departure since Newey’s bombshell and it is understood that PlanetF1. com he is negotiating a renewal with Red Bull, he has been hesitant to re-sign in the hope of scoring a touchdown. a bigger role elsewhere on the F1 grid.
Other top executives such as aerodynamic leader Enrico Balbo, functional engineering leader Ben Waterhouse and technical director Pierre Waché have signed new contracts in recent months. Priestley said “a number of people” at Red Bull are actively exploring features to leave the team.
“There are other people on the team that I know who are talking and thinking about leaving, who are very unhappy,” Priestley said in a video for his YouTube page.
“Adrian is the first of the high-profile cards to fall, but now there are others that are about to do the same.
“Jonathan Wheatley, the sporting director, someone who’s been there for a long, long time, is now also potentially looking for an exit and I know he’s not the only one who is seriously contemplating an exit from the team.
“It’s not really about winning races and winning championships anymore. Yes, the championship will almost in fact go in the direction of Red Bull this year. They will win more races. And next year, they’ll be in a wonderful position to do more. “
“But most of those people now have so many accolades, so many marks on the sheet of how many wins you get, how many things have you written down?How many pole positions? All of those things have been done. “
“If you’re not satisfied with your pictorial surroundings, and if you’re really at Red Bull, it’s probably not unexpected to see more people, especially at the more sensible end, start thinking and other characteristics that are about to change. be ed. grille. “
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Newey has made it clear that he has “no plans” to return to F1 at the moment, but rules it out as Formula 1 prepares to introduce new chassis and powertrain regulations from 2026.
And while he says this is more of a drop than the data he’s received, Priestley believes Newey will end up at Ferrari.
“I’m firmly convinced we’ll see him back in Formula 1,” Priestley said, referring to Newey.
“With a big regulatory update on the horizon, is it too tempting for Adrian Newey to miss it?
“And I really think it could end up going in the direction of Ferrari. Adrian Newey has been hesitant to sign for Ferrari and one of his reasons has been that he did not want to work and live in Italy.
“At Ferrari, it’s been tricky to work at times in the past, but things are changing. Just as McLaren builds anything and adjusts the organizational structure to succeed, Ferrari does exactly the same.
“They’re in a place. Fred Vasseur is the ideal user to lead this team and things are evolving for the better.
“With the arrival of Lewis Hamilton, it’s a boost for the whole team. And if Adrian Newey were to sign up for this partnership, well, who knows what they could accomplish as a major regulatory update looms on the horizon for 26 years. . »
Newey-designed F1 cars have won 25 notable titles in his illustrious career, with two more likely to be on the way in 2024.
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