ADRIAN NEWEY will leave Red Bull Racing at the end of this year – cranking up the pressure on boss Christian Horner.
Newey, who has grown disillusioned with life in F1, is the sport’s greatest car designer and says he is now seeking a new challenge.
The 65-year-old has been heavily linked with a switch to Ferrari where he would join up with Lewis Hamilton next season.
However, for the meantime he says he will see out the year with Red Bull while continuing to work on his hypercar project, the RB17, which launches in the summer.
He said: “Ever since I was a young boy, I wanted to be a designer of fast cars. My dream was to be an engineer in Formula One, and I’ve been lucky enough to make that dream a reality.
“For almost two decades it has been my great honour to have played a key role in Red Bull Racing‘s progress from upstart newcomer to multiple title-winning team.
“However, I feel now is an opportune moment to hand that baton over to others and to seek new challenges for myself.
“In the interim, the final stages of development of RB17 are upon us, so for the remainder of my time with the team my focus will lie there.”
Newey is responsible for designing cars that have won 12 constructors’ titles with three different teams and 13 drivers’ championships.
However, insiders say he has grown disillusioned with life at Red Bull Racing for some time and has previously expressed a desire to walk away.
Who is Adrian Newey?
Adrian Newey is the current design chief at Red Bull Racing.
The 65-year-old has played a crucial role in designing the cars that have helped Sebastian Vettel and Max Vertappen win SEVEN drivers’ world championships.
Newey began designing in Formula One back in 1988 with March, where his cars were far more competitive than expected.
After March he spent time with Williams and McLaren before joining Red Bull in 2005.
Throughout his career he has contributed to the cars that have secured 12 World Constructors’ titles and 13 World Drivers’ championships.
He is widely considered to be the greatest designer in the history of F1.
In 2014 he was given permission by Red Bull Racing to work on other projects away from F1.
And even last season he was contemplating stepping away from F1 – well before the internal complaint made against Horner – but was lured back with a new contract.
Newey is said to be at odds with the modern world of F1 and how Horner and Red Bull Racing have been catapulted into the limelight.
He has also seen the turbulence created within Red Bull Racing following the internal investigation following a complaint of inappropriate behaviour by a female colleague against Horner.
Newey was not directly involved but worked closely with the claimant and has a long-standing friendship with Horner that stretches back to 2005 when he signed from McLaren.
Newey’s departure, which was agreed late on Tuesday evening, will be a hammer blow to Horner, who has seen his position within the team come under the microscope.
He is under huge pressure following allegations of inappropriate behaviour, which he had been cleared of, but now subjected to an appeal.
Horner could also lose star driver Max Verstappen as part of the internal row that has ripped the team apart.
His vision and brilliance have helped us to 13 titles in 20 seasons
Christian Horner
And he is due to face a barrage of questions at this week’s Miami GP.
Horner said: “All of our greatest moments from the past 20 years have come with Adrian’s hand on the technical tiller.
“His vision and brilliance have helped us to 13 titles in 20 seasons.
“His exceptional ability to conceptualise beyond F1 and bring wider inspiration to bear on the design of grand prix cars, his remarkable talent for embracing change and finding the most rewarding areas of the rules to focus on, and his relentless will to win have helped Red Bull Racing to become a greater force than I think even the late [Red Bull co-founder] Dietrich Mateschitz might have imagined.
“More than that, the past 19 years with Adrian have been enormous fun.
“For me, when Adrian joined Red Bull, he was already a superstar designer. Two decades and 13 Championships later he leaves as a true legend.
“He is also my friend and someone I will be eternally grateful to for everything he brought to our partnership.
“The legacy he leaves behind will echo through the halls of Milton Keynes and RB17 Track Car will be a fitting testament and legacy to his time with us.”
