Adrian Newey played a crucial role in Red Bull’s championship victories since the energy drink company acquired the Formula 1 team from Jaguar before the 2005 season. The recent investigation controversy caused quite a stir within Red Bull, with rumors circulating about several key members leaving the team. However, team principal Christian Horner was ultimately cleared, closing the case. Nevertheless, there are reports of other teams trying to recruit the aerodynamics genius for themselves. Now, Newey has finally spoken out about the whole controversy.
There were rumors that Newey would be demoted to a non-Formula 1 related position within Red Bull after the investigation. Additionally, he also received offers to join Ferrari and lucrative contracts from Aston Martin. However, the 65-year-old reaffirmed his commitment to the Milton Keynes-based team. It has been suggested that Newey’s role within Red Bull has evolved over the years, but 26-year-old Max Verstappen emphasized the importance of each individual’s contribution to the team and the need for unity.
If Newey were to decide to leave the team, little the current world champion could do to stop him. Verstappen stated that he had not discussed the matter with Newey and had no interest in getting involved in conversations or reading stories about the situation. Verstappen acknowledged that Newey is a highly capable individual who has played a significant role in Red Bull’s success, but also emphasized that many others have contributed to creating a competitive car in Milton Keynes. However, Verstappen expressed his desire to see Newey remain at Red Bull rather than joining a rival team.
However, if Newey were to decide to leave, it could create challenges for Red Bull. Verstappen believes that the extensive knowledge of the 65-year-old man would be valuable to another team, such as Ferrari, and could potentially give them an advantage over Red Bull in terms of car development, especially in the area of ground effect of the single-seaters.
At the moment, it seems unlikely that Adrian Newey will leave Milton Keynes. The 65-year-old man has been with the team since its early days, and Red Bull continues to perform well in the 2024 season with the RB20. Undoubtedly, Newey hopes to see his projects achieve more victories in Formula 1, with Max Verstappen behind the wheel, in the coming years.