Adrian Newey resigned after Red Bull staff did something to 2024 car he was ‘strongly against’

Follow us on Google Discover

Adrian Newey is leaving Red Bull at the start of 2025 after handing in his resignation. One of the most iconic designer-team partnerships in F1 history will come to an end.

After Martin Whitmarsh had security escort Newey off the McLaren premises in an acrimonious exit, he signed with Red Bull in 2005. He’d previously worked with another iconic team in Williams, but this was a gamble.

They weren’t an established competitor, and it took until 2009 before they could compete at the front of the grid. But Newey would then deliver four straight title-winning cars for Sebastian Vettel in a famous run of dominance.

Mercedes seized the throne from Red Bull upon the introduction of the V6 turbo/hybrid in 2014, but the Milton Keynes outfit slowly clawed their way back. After an epic duel in 2021, Newey and the Bulls were back on top as Max Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton to the drivers’ title.

The ground effect era has belonged to Christian Horner’s squad, who cruised to the title in 2022 and produced the most one-sided campaign in F1 history last year. On a sporting basis alone, the chief technical officer has little reason to leave.

However, the relationship between Horner and Newey has suffered. The 65-year-old was unhappy with the team principal’s attempts to downplay the extent of his influence on the car’s design.

Adrian Newey didn’t approve Red Bull plans for RB20

According to Formu1a.uno, this wasn’t the only reason that Newey resigned. The Englishman was ‘strongly against’ plans drawn up by technical director Pierre Wache and head of aerodynamics Enrico Balbo, but they went ahead without his approval.

For instance, he disagreed with a proposed cooling solution, only for Wache and Balbo to introduce it onto the RB20 anyway. The power dynamics have ‘changed a lot’ behind the scenes.

This has left Newey with ‘a lack of motivation and stimulation’, contributing significantly to his decision to walk away. He ‘no longer felt as important as he would have liked’ despite playing a leading role in all seven of their title-winning seasons.

Red Bull started the year with a comfortable advantage over the rest of the field as Verstappen won four of the first five races in dominant fashion. However, he’s been restricted to three wins from the last seven after McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes all gained ground.

Ferrari ‘baulk’ at Adrian Newey request in 2025 talks

The key question around Newey now, of course, is where he’ll go next. He must first commit to continuing in F1, but the very fact that he’s negotiating with other teams points to a willingness to do so.

Having been favourites for a long time, Ferrari are now increasingly unlikely to sign Newey. Their CEO has ‘baulked’ at the level of salary he commands, and is concerned about upsetting the dynamics within the team.

This hands the advantage to Aston Martin. Lawrence Stroll recently had dinner with Newey, whom he sees as the centrepiece of his championship aspirations.

Despite the bitterness of his 2005 exit, a return to McLaren is also a possibility. Newey was partly responsible for both of Mika Hakkinen’s title-winning cars in the late 1990s.