Adrian Newey's exit actually solves Red Bull problem for Christian Horner

01 May 2024 , 11:10

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Adrian Newey is leaving Christian Horner's Red Bull team (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Right now, Red Bull will feel wounded by the impending departure of one of their most vital employees.

After designing every single one of their title-winning cars to date, Adrian Newey is leaving for pastures new. He's 65, but seems unlikely to retire given he has negotiated with Red Bull to be allowed to leave his contract early.

The current belief is Ferrari are best placed to snap him up. The Italians mean business and want to get Newey to design cars for Lewis Hamilton when the new regulations come into force for 2026, in a bid to win titles again amid a 16-year barren run.

Whether or not Newey can help any other team to close the performance chasm to Red Bull that he helped to create remains to be seen. Regardless, Red Bull know enough about his abilities to feel nervous about his chances of success.

Newey's departure brings to an end a long partnership with team principal Christian Horner which seems to be ending on a sour note. Among the reasons behind the designer's desire to depart is the infighting which has engulfed the F1 champions and in which Horner has been a key figure.

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The pressure will be on Red Bull to prove that their success wasn't just because of Newey's brilliance, after he leaves in the first quarter of 2025. But it's clear who will be stepping up to lead their design process when does sign out of their Milton Keynes base for the final time.

Pierre Wache has been technical director since 2018, second only to Newey in the pecking order. Day-to-day development of their cars has, for several years now, been his responsibility.

Yet, all Red Bull cars are seen as Newey creations and that was always going to be the case while he was employed by the team. Newey's exit will give Wache the chance to emerge from his legendary mentor's shadow and prove to the world that he can lead Red Bull into the future.

And it has come at an ideal time for Horner who, only a couple of months ago, would have been worried about losing the Frenchman to Ferrari. Wache was heavily linked with a move to Maranello but, if Newey goes there, it is hard to imagine he will follow.

Wache was considering an exit due to there being no next step up the ladder. It may be that, by leaving, Newey presents Horner with several new headaches - but also relieves another at the same time.

Daniel Moxon