Red Bull design chief Adrian Newey set to resign over Christian Horner controversy, reports say – Firstpost
Adrian Newey, 65, has worked at Red Bull since 2005 and has played a key role in the team’s 13 world titles (seven drivers and six constructors) since 2010.
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Paris: Adrian Newey, widely regarded as Formula 1’s greatest designer and one of the main architects of Red Bull’s title dominance, is set to leave the world champions following the Christian Horner controversy, have media reported Thursday. Newey, 65, has been with Red Bull since 2005 and has played a key role in the team’s 13 world titles (seven drivers and six constructors) since 2010.
However, he is believed to have become troubled within the team since team manager Horner was accused of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior by a female employee.
Horner was cleared following an internal investigation by Red Bull’s parent company before the employee was suspended. She is appealing this decision.
After German newspaper Auto Motor und Sport first reported Newey’s position on Thursday, the BBC
claimed to have “independently verified (the information) with high-level sources close to Red Bull and Newey”.
They confirmed that his desire to leave stemmed from his dissatisfaction with the Horner situation which sparked a power struggle at Red Bull.
World champion driver Max Verstappen is also frustrated by the situation. His future at Red Bull was thrown into doubt last month after his father, Jos, said the team risked being “torn apart” if Horner remained as its boss.
A Red Bull team spokesperson said later on Thursday that they were “unaware” of Newey’s apparent desire to leave. “Adrian is under contract until at least the end of 2025 and we don’t know if he has joined another team,” he said. AFP.
Last year, Verstappen and Red Bull had the most dominant season in F1 history, with the Dutchman winning 19 of 22 races and the team winning all but one. This season they have won four of the first five races.
Newey also worked with championship-winning teams at Williams and McLaren during his long career. According to the BBC, he is strongly linked with a move to Ferrari.
Team principal Frédéric Vasseur said AFP last week that “if all the people who are going to test at Mugello sign for Ferrari, we will have to buy a bus to get on the tracks”. Mugello is a circuit not far from the Ferrari base in Maranello.
