NEWS. . . BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Adrian Newey, the man widely credited with Red Bull’s dominance in Formula 1, will soon announce his departure from Formula 1.
The technical director will return to Red Bull after 18 years amid the controversy and fallout from the Christian Horner scandal.
Team principal Horner has been investigated after a Red Bull worker accused him of “inappropriate behaviour”, and texts and photographs relating to the investigation were leaked to the media and F1 staff.
The 50-year-old, husband of former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, was acquitted, but the plaintiff appealed the decision.
The saga sparked a civil war within Red Bull and sparked much speculation about the future of its star driver and three-time world champion Max Verstappen.
As for Newey, he reported in March that he was “unhappy” with the ongoing struggle of forces and felt excluded from the team with which he had enjoyed so much good luck.
German media outlet Auto Motor und Sport is now reporting that Newey is fed up with the fight for strength and has made the decision to leave Red Bull at the end of 2024.
However, his contract, valued at around £10m a year, expires at the end of 2025, which may complicate matters, but according to Sky Sports, Newey has informally informed his Red Bull superiors of his decision to leave.
This news will put the rest of the grid on high alert, with a driver as talented, if not more so, than the maximum number of drivers.
Newey is the greatest F1 designer in history and has been with Red Bull since 2006.
He is currently Red Bull’s technical director and has played a pivotal role in the team’s dominant running in F1 for years.
Ferrari in particular are desperate to sign him, with Frederic Vasseur trying to assemble the best team on the grid in a bid to end the Scuderia’s name drought.
That, of course, includes Sir Lewis Hamilton, who will join Mercedes in 2025, and Newey has in the past expressed remorse for not racing for Ferrari or the seven-time world champion.
“Working with Fernando [Alonso] and Lewis would have been fabulous. But that never happened. Sometimes it’s just a matter of circumstance, that’s just the way it is,” he said last September.
In addition, Aston Martin is also very interested in theirs and, having extended Alonso’s contract until 2026, it is possible that Newey will still have this opportunity.
Sky Sports adds that Red Bull would release him until the end of his contract to prevent other teams from signing him.
His departure would be a huge blow, given Newey’s impressive F1 career. The 65-year-old is considered a motorsport legend, with the cars he designed having won thirteen drivers’ titles and 12 constructors’ titles since 1992, with this year’s RB20 being the most likely to make that list after winning 4 of the first five races.
BBC Sport claims Newey has informed them of his decision, but a Red Bull spokesperson tried to play down any speculation by saying: “Adrian has a contract until at least the end of 2025.
“We don’t know if he’ll join any other team. “
The 2024 F1 season continues on May 5 with the Miami Grand Prix.
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