‘Unhappy’ Red Bull have now taken drastic Adrian Newey action after Aston Martin unveiling

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Red Bull team principal Christian Horner had the chance to offer his reaction to Adrian Newey’s move to Aston Martin at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Lawrence Stroll formally unveiled Newey at a press conference on Tuesday.

Horner appeared in Friday’s FIA presser, and inevitably, the reporters present were keen to hear what he made of his longtime colleague’s decision. The legendary designer informed Red Bull of his planned departure back in April.

Stroll called Newey the most exciting signing in Aston Martin history, and Horner acknowledged that it was a ‘big moment for that team’. But he also felt that they celebrated ‘slightly prematurely’.

Rather than serving a period of gardening leave, Newey remains a Red Bull employee. He won’t officially join Aston Martin until next March.

It was put to Horner that Ferrari didn’t hold a grand ceremony to announce Lewis Hamilton, perhaps out of respect for Mercedes. Stroll, on the other hand, was keen to parade his A-list capture in front of the media.

Red Bull have taken Adrian Newey off their travel rota after Aston Martin move

It seems Horner’s comments point to wider anger within the Red Bull ranks. According to Autosport journalist Alex Kalinauckas, they will now prevent Newey from travelling to any further races this year.

The 65-year-old hasn’t been seen at a Grand Prix since his home race at Silverstone in July. He then unveiled his RB17 hypercar design at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Red Bull’s plan was for Newey to attend races in significant marketing locations for the project. But they’ve now scrapped it.

Newey had already lost his access to data before potentially joining a competitor. And now it’s feasible that he’s appeared in Red Bull kit for the last time.

“We understand that as a result of all this, Red Bull [are] pretty unhappy even away from the media,” Kalinauckas said. “And Newey [has been] taken off the travel rota from now on. So we won’t be seeing him at any races towards the end of the year.”

Why Aston Martin could now deny Red Bull a Max Verstappen replacement

Aston Martin are now interested in Max Verstappen, so there could be further tension between the two teams. Verstappen could potentially be the long-term successor to Fernando Alonso.

Helmut Marko has dismissed the rumours, while Verstappen’s camp are prioritising Mercedes. But Horner has already been angered by Toto Wolff’s public pursuit of the Dutchman, and Stroll could incur his wrath too.

Aston Martin are an attractive proposition, and even if Verstappen joins Mercedes instead, they could cause Red Bull problems. Jolyon Palmer believes they’re best placed to lure a driver like Lando Norris or George Russell.

The British duo may be near the top of the Bulls’ list of Verstappen replacements. But Newey’s move has the potential to shift the balance of power in F1, especially in the driver market.