Sport

Adrian Newey, mastermind behind Red Bull dominance, to leave role as design chief next year

Bidding war for engineer ahead, with Ferrari in pole position to sign him

Adrian Newey, the Chief Technical Officer of Red Bull Racing. Photograph: Mark Thompson/Getty
Adrian Newey, the Chief Technical Officer of Red Bull Racing. Photograph: Mark Thompson/Getty
Wed May 01 2024 - 10:58

Adrian Newey, one of the most celebrated designers in Formula One history, will leave Red Bull next year.

Red Bull confirmed that the 65-year-old Briton, considered to be the mastermind behind the team’s unprecedented dominance of the sport – is set to end his two-decade stay – in the “first quarter of 2025”.

The news is set to spark a bidding war for Newey’s services, with Ferrari – soon to be joined by Lewis Hamilton – in pole position to sign him.

Newey’s departure also places further pressure on Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. Horner paid tribute to Newey describing him as a “true legend” and hailing his “vision and brilliance”.

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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 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.”

Newey, who is expected to be in Miami for this weekend’s race, 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.”