Max Verstappen’s suggestion that Adrian Newey’s role in Red Bull’s recent F1 success has been overstated is a strong hint at how the team’s hierarchy really feels about Newey’s impending exit
Max Verstappen’s recent suggestion that Adrian Newey’s role in Red Bull’s Formula 1 success has been overstated indicates the team’s true feelings about Newey’s upcoming departure. Newey will leave Red Bull in early 2025 after nearly two decades with the team, during which he played a crucial role in their dominance from 2010-13 and continued contributing as a ‘global chief technical officer.’ Despite shock in the F1 paddock over Newey’s exit, there’s an implicit hint that Red Bull is not worried because Newey’s influence had decreased over time, even sparking opinions that he had minimal input in the 2024 RB20. Verstappen, while expressing a preference for Newey to stay, noted that Newey’s role had evolved and praised the strength of the current technical team. The change in Newey’s role, led by Pierre Wache, shifted him to a superconsultant-like position focusing on specific aspects of car design, while Horner highlighted how Newey’s freedom has helped shape a strong technical “machine.” Verstappen acknowledged the potential galvanizing effect of Newey’s departure on the team and respected Newey’s decision to seek new challenges, in line with the competitive and self-focused nature of F1.
