Adrian Newey: Red Bull design chief to leave over Christian Horner allegations

The Red Bull designer leader, Adrian Newey, has decided to depart from the team following a problematic situation concerning rumors about the team principal, Christian Horner.

According to BBC Sport, Newey, who is highly esteemed as the best Formula 1 designer ever, has informed Red Bull that he wishes to depart.

The individual who is now 65 years old has been made to feel uneasy due to the circumstances that have arisen at Red Bull. The reason being that Horner, who is in a position of power, has been accused by a female employee of inappropriate sexual behaviour and using methods of coercion and abuse. However, it is important to note that Horner has denied these allegations.

Requests for comment sent to Red Bull and Newey have yet to be answered at this time.

The head of design from Britain has been rumored to be in close association with Ferrari and it is confirmed that the offer from Aston Martin has been received as well. Due to the recent revelation of his availability, it is expected that he will attract the attention of all major teams.

According to sources, Newey's agreement with Red Bull is in effect until the close of 2025. However, he seems to think he can arrange a departure that would grant him the ability to collaborate with a different organization starting next year.

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport initially reported that he wanted to depart from Red Bull, but BBC Sport has confirmed this information independently with reliable sources connected to Red Bull and Newey.

They verified that his wish to depart arises from his dissatisfaction with the ongoing issue related to Horner, causing a complex fight for authority at Red Bull.

The group absolved Horner of any misconduct following an internal inquiry. The person who filed the complaint, and has been temporarily relieved of duty, has contested the verdict.

There is a disagreement between Horner and Helmut Marko, who advises Red Bull racing. This has also caused a rift between the Thai main shareholder, Chalerm Yoovidhya, who supports Horner, and Red Bull Gmbh in Austria. Initially, Red Bull Gmbh wanted to fire Horner from his job.

Newey has worked with Red Bull since the year 2005 and has been in charge of two extremely successful periods with the team. The first one was from 2010 to 2014, when they won four straight drivers' and constructors' titles with Sebastian Vettel. Currently, Newey is overseeing the second period with the team, which is being led by the talented driver Max Verstappen.

Verstappen and Red Bull had an incredibly successful season in F1 last year. They were the most dominant team in history, with Verstappen winning 19 out of the 22 races and the team only losing one race. This year, they seem to be continuing their strong performance, having already won four out of the first five races.

In the past, Newey achieved many championship victories while working with Williams and McLaren.

Newey, who holds the position of Red Bull's top technical officer, is not solely dedicated to working on F1 anymore. He is also playing a role in the development of other endeavors for the company, such as the highly anticipated RB17 supercar.

At times, Horner has highlighted the positive aspects of the crew which is being supervised by technical director Pierre Wache and has been streamlined by Newey.

Although the departure of the design chief will be tough, the team knows that he was the mastermind behind the victorious cars and his absence will have a massive impact.

This could potentially make Verstappen feel even more uneasy, as he is already recognized for having concerns about the team's current circumstances.

Verstappen, who is bound by a contract until 2028, has been requested multiple times to express unwavering support for Horner. However, he has consistently provided unclear responses.

He has frequently expressed his wish to maintain the current Red Bull management team. During the Chinese Grand Prix, he stated, "I committed to a lengthy contract. My sole stipulation was creating a calm atmosphere, and lately we've been discussing the vehicle."

It brings me great joy to express my contentment with the group, and I have never encountered a justification to depart.

Verstappen has the freedom to depart if Marko is no longer in charge - and the driver played a significant role in ensuring that the Austrian's position remained intact when it was in jeopardy during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in March.

It is assumed that he won't have the same level of liberty if Newey departs, but he would consider losing such a significant and powerful figure as a severe setback.

Mercedes is showing a clear interest in Verstappen and aims to attract him to join their team in either 2025 or 2026.