Revered Formula 1 car designer Adrian Newey is leaving Red Bull Racing, ending a two-decade stint that has earned the energy drink company more than a dozen world championships.
Newey and Red Bull announced that their partnership will end in early 2025, in a statement published Wednesday evening on AEST.
Newey has been at Red Bull since 2006 and is its current technical director.
He has been responsible for building the Red Bull cars that have won six constructors’ championships and seven drivers’ championships.
“For almost two decades it has been my great honor to have played a key role in Red Bull Racing’s progress from a newcomer to a multi-title winning team,” Newey said in a statement.
“However, I feel that now is an opportune time to pass the baton to others and seek new challenges for myself.
“It has been a real privilege and I am sure that the engineering team is well prepared for the work leading up to the final evolution of the car over the four-year period of these regulations.”
Reports of Newey’s possible departure have circulated for months following a scandal involving team principal Christian Horner.
Horner was accused of workplace misconduct by an employee that came to light in the weeks leading up to this season.
The Red Bull boss was cleared after an investigation but appeared to cause a rift within the team.
There have been several reports that superstar driver Max Verstappen and his father Jos are unhappy with Horner’s leadership.
Meanwhile, Newey is understood to have close links with Horner, with some media suggesting they both have clauses in their contracts allowing them to leave if the other leaves.
Two decades and 13 championships later, he leaves as a true legend.
Newey’s departure now puts Verstappen’s future with Red Bull in doubt.
The Dutchman has a contract with Red Bull until 2028, but rumors about Verstappen’s desire to leave the team have persisted throughout the season.
Losing modern F1’s most successful engineer could see Verstappen explore options to move to a new team.
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