Red Bull has been lucky to have a great car designer like Adrian Newey for such a long time. Since its inception in 2006, the Austrian team gradually came into the top tier of F1 teams. From 2010 to 2013, the Milton Keynes outfit dominated the grid while Sebastian Vettel was steering the wheel. Moreover, for four years in a row, there was no stopping the Austrian outfit. The German driver achieved greatness, winning the Driver’s World Champion for four times. A lot of credit had to go to the design chief. Later, Mercedes dethroned the Newey cars, and for the next eight years, they won every single constructor title.
At the end of the 2014 season, Sebastian Vettel left the RBR team and joined Ferrari. Hence, they needed to find a suitable replacement for the German great. They managed to find a replacement for Vettel in 2015 when 17-year-old Max Verstappen joined their sister team, Scuderia Torro Rosso, now called RB. Then, in 2022, Red Bull regained their hegemony, winning the constructor title again and again. But one name that remained constant in RBR’s success was Adrian Newey. In 2024, the design chief announced his departure, and right away the team is facing a dip in performance.
Did Newey’s Departure Have to Do Something With Red Bull’s “Performance Drop?”
After months of speculation in 2024 regarding Newey’s departure from Red Bull, the news came out that he will head to Aston Martin in 2025. Perhaps a lot of internal turmoil within the team has forced the design chief to make the decision to leave the Austrian outfit. On Tuesday, the next move of Newey came to light. Recently, in an interview with the Autocar podcast, Adrian Newey mentioned that he had a suspicion that people might come up with a theory connecting his departure and Red Bull’s performance drop. Anyway, Newey also said during the podcast interview that he has heard this rumor, but honestly, he can’t “Comment.” Moreover, the design chief added that he does not read the press for some personal reason dating back to his Leyton House days.
Anyway, the mastermind behind the RB19 car noted, “I can’t comment because once I’m out, I really am.” Moreover, Adrian Newey mentioned that he has not been able to contribute to the RB20 car’s development since April 2024. But then, he has also heard questions like, “Why Red Bull has been less competitive lately?” In reply, Newey said, “I’m not involved so I don’t know.” The chief technology officer of the RBR said that he has been out of F1 since April but he has been working on the RB17 track car. Finally, he said that he will work on that car until March 1, and then, he will change his location on March 2, 2025.
Horner & Verstappen Doesn’t Believe That The “Performance Dip” Has Anything To Do With Adrian Newey
Red Bull started the 2024 season in a dominating fashion like they were enjoying in 2023. This year, Max Verstappen had won seven of the first ten races. But there were rumors that things are not okay in the internal environment of the RBR team. Christian Horner faced accusations of “Inappropriate behavior” with a female employee that shocked the F1 community. Then, Verstappen senior, Jos said, “Horner will tear this team apart if he stays as the team principal.”
Moreover, a power struggle between Horner and Helmut Marko, the 81 year old F1 consultant for Red Bull came to light. Gradually, things started to affect the performance as well. After those first ten races, RBR lost its advantage of having a superior car. Now, McLaren is only a few points away from toppling Horner’s team in the constructor standings. However, both Verstappen and Horner believes it has nothing to do with Newey’s announcement of departure. Instead, they believe the “Wider team has its part to play to turn the fortune around,” as per PlanetF1.com.
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