Red Bull Chief Makes Subtle Dig at Adrian Newey As Designer Stops Attending F1
Adrian Newey’s departure from Red Bull Racing is signaling the end of an iconic era, with the legendary designer’s last appearance at a Formula 1 race for the team already behind him, according to a report from Crash.net.
Newey, a key figure at Red Bull for nearly two decades, will join Aston Martin in March 2025 once his current contract expires. This move is being felt within Milton Keynes, with Red Bull’s team principal Christian Horner making a slight jab at the early reveal of his new contract.
“Adrian has always tended to do his own thing,” Horner said, addressing the recent news. “It was obviously a large announcement by Aston and Adrian has always tended to do his own thing so obviously it was a big moment for that team,” Horner added.
“They chose to celebrate it perhaps potentially slightly prematurely before he has finished his contract with Red Bull Racing but obviously it was a big moment for that team.”
This shift in focus for Newey, who is currently working on Red Bull’s RB17 hypercar project, was reflected in his recent attendance at several key races including Miami, Monaco, and Silverstone. Expectations were that he would continue to appear at further events in a technical capacity. However, these plans changed abruptly with Newey’s focus now entirely moving towards the new challenges awaiting him at Aston Martin.
The official confirmation of Newey’s switch came during a high-profile press conference at Aston Martin’s new Silverstone base, a move that reportedly caught Red Bull off guard.
“Obviously, it will be a new challenge for him and we’ll be sad when he leaves next year. But we wish him all the best for the future and look back with great fondness the 20 years almost that we spent together and the highs and lows during that period,” Horner said.
Newey’s unique approach as a creative powerhouse has been hugely important to Red Bull. As the only designer in F1 still working with a drawing board, his experience and innovative thinking will be missed.
“Adrian is a very creative guy. He’s not your average designer. I think he’s the only person in F1 still working on a drawing board,” Horner continued.
Newey’s transition could potentially recalibrate where the Silverstone-based team sits in the standings, especially after their poor performance this year in comparison to 2023.
“Inevitably there will be a process of getting to know each other, how each other work and so on. But he is unique in many respects. Aston will look to draw upon his huge experience.”