Report: Adrian Newey Is Leaving The Red Bull F1 Team

Formula 1 news this season has been dominated by two things: Lewis Hamilton’s shock move to Ferrari for 2025, and the ongoing situation at Red Bull, specifically the allegations aimed at team boss Christian Horner by an unidentified female colleague.

Although Horner has been formally cleared of the allegations, which hinged around sexual harassment and controlling behaviour, the situation rumbles on and has caused a rift within the dominant Red Bull team, with ongoing rumours of several high-profile figures, including star driver Max Verstappen, looking at potential exit strategies.

Now, though, the first high-profile departure is about to happen, according to BBC Sport, and it’s a big one: Adrian Newey.

The RB19, Newey’s most successful design

Newey is the team’s chief technical officer, and the man responsible for overseeing the designs of its cars. Widely regarded as one of the very best motorsport designers of all time, it’s under his stewardship that Red Bull has produced a string of hugely successful cars, including last year’s utterly dominant RB19, and the RB20 that looks set to repeat its success this season.

His departure would be an enormous loss for the team that’s won the last two World Constructors’ Championships, but according to the BBC, he’s been “unsettled by the situation at Red Bull” since the allegations surfaced, and he’s informed the team that he intends to leave.

A spokesperson for Red Bull, however, reportedly told The Race: “Adrian is contracted until at least the end of 2025 and we are unaware of him joining any other team.”

The RB6, Newey’s first title-winning Red Bull

Newey entered Formula 1 in 1988 with the March team and had stints at Williams and McLaren before joining Red Bull in 2006. His designs have won 12 Constructors’ and 13 Drivers’ Championships, of which six and seven respectively have been for Red Bull.

Should he leave for another team, he’d undoubtedly be an enormous signing, but it’s unclear at this stage where he plans to go next. His potential departure also raises questions about the future of Red Bull’s RB17 hypercar project, which Newey has also been overseeing the design of.

We’ll keep this story updated as and when more details emerge.