For 18 of Red Bull’s 19 years of existence, Adrian Newey and his drawing board have been at its headquarters in Milton Keynes.
The legendary designer, who built his reputation at Williams and McLaren before joining Red Bull in 2006, is one of the pillars of the team alongside Christian Horner.
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez are the eighth and eleventh drivers, respectively, for whom Newey has designed cars.
What’s next? Losing Newey, despite Red Bull’s attempts to cushion the blow of this inevitable decision, will be a monumental change in the team’s trajectory, the only question being how well will they bounce back?
This also comes at a time of excessive uncertainty within the team. Horner’s research leading up to the season set the mood in an ultra-tense moment and a resolution like this can still move the basket of apples.
Although few leaks have touched the position of the walls of Milton Keynes, almost everyone has had an opinion on the situation. Leading critics among them, such as Jos Verstappen and Ralf Schuamcher, demanded Horner’s head, suggesting that his presidency would lead to the team’s collapse at a time of excessive dominance.
In his starting statement, Newey thanked Horner and described him as “a friend of our respective families”, but Schumacher paid little attention to him and instead suggested it was the start of the finish line for one of the world’s most successful F1 teams. century.
Newey’s departure also raises many more questions than it answers. While the press release confirms his departure in the first quarter of 2025, there is no mention of what will happen next.
Had retirement been an option, this would have been discussed and the fact that he will no longer race with the F1 technical team would suggest that Red Bull is unwilling to share new secrets with a potential rival.
Newey’s career has won almost every accolade one could wish for, but there has been one challenge he has avoided: Ferrari. The move from his home to the UK has sometimes been touted as the explanation behind various denials about the event. Fred Vasseur is building something resembling an F1 supergroup and Italian media reported that he met Newey in London a day before his big announcement was made public.
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Ferrari remains the biggest challenge for anyone in F1 and at 65 years old, and probably given his most recent role in the sport, Newey would probably, after all, have been tempted to sign up for the F1 team.
But away from Newey, there are other unanswered questions, in addition to those of Horner, Verstappen and Red Bull. French engineer Pierre Wache, who joined Red Bull in 2013, has been chosen as Newey’s successor, but 2025 will be his first genuine test before that. the arrival of sweeping regulations in 2026.
Like many empires that came before it, Red Bull’s downfall most likely came from the inside and not elsewhere, given its high dominance on the grid. Arguably, the team Horner has built since 2005 has lost its biggest key element. However, designers like Newey are much rarer and more valuable.
There’s also the question of what this means for Max Verstappen. Until now, rumours of a move to Mercedes were unrealistic given that the Dutchman only needs to win, but now he will be wondering if Red Bull is the maximum, probably to give him the maximum. productive possibility of victory. This is a question that comes up for the first time since 2022.
It’s more important than ever that Red Bull remains Verstappen, as they can’t lose two valuable assets in quick succession.
To do so, they want to show him that they can be the favourites in 2026, but that’s a task with a lot of variables for Red Bull as things stand.
Designing a new car for a regulatory package is one thing, but Red Bull is looking to outdo it with its engine, taking on the festival of five other much more established PU suppliers.
As we head to Miami, this question will be asked of Horner and Verstappen and while they will get away with their media skills, it’s a question they’ll both be asking behind closed doors.
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