Red Bull have confirmed in the build up to the Miami Grand Prix that engineering supremo Adrien Newey is set to depart the Milton Keynes based team after nearly two highly-decorated decades behind its drawing board.
Newey joined RB ahead of the team’s second season in Formula 1 back in 2006, and has proven instrumental in its success since then, taking the team from midfield competition to consistent victories. RB have claimed six constructors’ titles and seven drivers’ titles, between Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, with Newey-designed cars, and another double at the end of the 2024 season is looking more than likely.
Newey will be departing from his Chief Technical Officer role in the first quarter of 2025, but is already stepping away from F1 design duties in order to “focus on final development and delivery of Red Bull’s first hypercar, the hugely anticipated RB17,” reads an RB statement. The completion of the RB17 will be the last product of the partnership between the British engineer and RB, but will continue to attend specific races to support the F1 team trackside to the end of the 2024 season.
“Ever since I was a young boy, I wanted to be a designer of fast cars,” said Newey. “My dream was to be an engineer in Formula 1, 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 stated.
RB Racing team Principal Christian Horner was full of praise for his longterm colleague and personal friend; “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… 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.”
The big question remains of what is next for this highly sought after expert of engineering. Reports suggest that Ferrari are in the lead of the race for Newey’s signature, having already demonstrated their persuasive abilities by signing Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes. The silver arrows themselves could be interested in signing the individual behind the rocket ships that have added so much difficulty in recent seasons, while the very well financially backed Aston Martin outfit is also a strongly possible destination.
However, there is no question that Newey leaves behind a legacy to look up to, and that his F1 pedigree will make him a valuable asset wherever his destination may be.
Featured image courtesy of @redbullracing on X: Adrien Newey
