Adrian Newey Is Officially Leaving Red Bull F1, Will Continue Work On RB17 Hypercar

Following last week’s shock rumours, the Red Bull Formula 1 team has confirmed that its chief designer Adrian Newey will depart the team in the first quarter of 2025. While no reason has officially been given, it’s widely believed that his departure is as a result of unrest in the team following the allegations levelled at team principal Christian Horner by a 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. Newey is the first high-profile member of the team confirmed to be leaving.

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 that success this season.

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.

Newey said of his departure: “I would like to thank the many amazing people I have worked with at Red Bull in our journey over the last 18 years for their talent, dedication and hard work. It has been a real privilege, and I am confident that the engineering team are well prepared for the work going into the final evolution of the car under the four-year period of this regulation set.”

Meanwhile, 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. I will be eternally grateful for everything he brought to our partnership.”

Where Newey will go next is up for debate, with rumours linking him to both the Aston Martin and Ferrari outfits, the latter of which would see him partner with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Red Bull has also confirmed that Newey will continue to oversee the development of its upcoming RB17 hypercar, with Newey stating that “for the remainder of my time with the team my focus will lie there.”

With the development of the 2025 Red Bull well underway, it’s unlikely Newey’s departure will lead to an immediate shift in the team’s competitiveness, but come the new 2026 regulations, it may well contribute to a major shakeup on the grid.