Red Bull is reportedly considering a shift in focus for Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey amid the financial constraints imposed
The introduction of a budget cap in Formula 1 aimed to create a more even playing field, with teams limited to a budget of $145m in 2021 and reduced to $135m in 2023. However, certain areas such as driver salaries and top staff members’ pay were exempt from the cap. Red Bull has been successful in this era, winning multiple titles with Max Verstappen, but they faced penalties in 2021 for breaching the cost cap. There are reports suggesting that legendary designer Adrian Newey may be sidelined from F1 projects to free up one of the exempt spots for high earners. The budget cap has made it challenging for teams to retain and promote staff, with Red Bull losing key talents to other teams. To comply with the rules, Newey’s part-time work on the RB17 road car project still falls under the cost cap. The FIA has also issued a directive to close potential loopholes of senior technical figures benefiting F1 programs outside of the budget cap.
