Red Bull owes a lot to the genius Adrian Newey for their success over the years. He has been the mastermind behind the superior cars, RB18, RB19, and the current RB20 cars. Moreover, in the past, when the Austrian team started dominating the grid back in 2010 with Sebastian Vettel steering the wheel, it was the same man behind the design of those cars. Later, Milton Keynes, with Vettel, won four titles in a row from 2010 to 2013. Then, obviously, for eight years, the Austrian team struggled to beat Mercedes. It was the turbo-hybrid era, also fans call it fondly, “The Mercedes Era.”
But the Red Bull fans were happy to see Max Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton in the epic showdown of the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP. Later, in 2022, things changed dramatically for the Milton Keynes outfit. It seems like there is no team with a strong car to beat the superior Newey’s cars. Since 2022, Ferrari has won a few races, and Mercedes has won just the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix. Otherwise, it has been a total Red Bull domination. But the hegemony might end with Newey leaving Christian Horner’s team.
Red Bull Might Soon Confirm The News Of Adrian Newey Leaving The Team
The departure of the aero wizard of the Austrian team is all but confirmed. According to Autosport, Adrian Newey has handed his resignation to Christian Horner’s team. Perhaps the team will confirm the news right before the Miami Grand Prix. This move might rock the foundations of the Milton Keynes outfit. Moreover, it has been a few days since the news broke out in the media. According to rumors, Adrian Newey must have told some of his close associates that he was planning to leave the Austrian team. Reports from Autosport suggest that the Red Bull design chief informed his team, and they are just waiting for the right moment to confirm the news. But Autosport hinted at Christian Horner being responsible for Newey’s decision to leave. Perhaps the team principal and the technical director had a major breakdown in their relationship.
Last season, Horner made some comments about Newey’s leadership within the team in an interview with Motorsport.com. There had been tensions between Horner and Newey even before that interview. But when Horner said that the team is not really reliant on Newey, things got even worse. Autosport suggests that the genius car designer felt that the Red Bull boss was trying to minimize the contributions of others and make himself look more important. As a result, that interview in 2023 did not sit down well with Newey. Now, his future seems uncertain. Mercedes, Ferrari, and even Aston Martin might offer him to join. However, the 65-year-old design chief might retire from the F1 sport altogether.
What Did Horner Say That Made Newey Upset?
In an interview with Motorsport.com last year, Christian Horner mentioned that Adrian Newey is a big part of the team and its success over the years. But after all these years, Horner believes that Newey’s role has changed a lot. Pierre Wache is leading the technical team beneath Newey. The Red Bull team principal told Motorsport that the technical team has been doing a great job and they are not reliant on RBR’s chief technology officer.
Lately, Autosport suggested that this interview didn’t make Newey happy. Moreover, when a female employee accused Horner of “Inappropriate behavior,” Newey got even more upset. There is an internal power struggle that is upsetting the team environment, and several key members have expressed their desire to leave. Adrian Newey will be the first among them to say “Goodbye” to the Austrian outfit.
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