Max Verstappen has admitted he's disappointed to learn of the departure of Adrian Newey from Red Bull, but stopped short of suggesting the news had prompted him to reconsider his own future with the team.
Newey, 65, is set to leave Red Bull in early 2025 after almost 20 years with the team. He will complete his work on Red Bull's RB17 project before moving on, though he appears set to depart before his contract runs out at the end of next season.
World champion Verstappen has known no Red Bull designed apart from Newey, and there has been speculation over the future of the 26-year-old in the light of the news. Verstappen's father Jos even went as far as saying the team was "in danger of falling apart".
The announcement from Red Bull comes with Verstappen picking up where he left off last season. He has four wins from the first five races, and addressed his future ahead of Sunday's Miami Grand Prix.
Ahead of the upcoming grand prix, where he is chasing a third successive Miami win, Verstappen was asked if recent events at Red Bull had impacted his decision making. While he calmed worries, he made no secret of the fact he is sad to see Newey move on - even if the CTO is leaving behind a strong team.
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"Not at the moment," was his response to the question on distractions, though he added: "I cannot deny that I would have preferred [Newey] to stay because of how he is as a person, his knowledge and what he would bring to potentially another team.
"A lot of good people came into the [Red Bull design] team and that has strengthened that whole department," he added. "I trust that the technical team we have outside of Adrian is very strong."
How big a blow will Adrian Newey's exit be? Have your say in the comments section
Newey's exit has been confirmed by Red Bull (PA)Max Verstappen's big-money Red Bull contract runs until 2028, though it is understood to include a break clause which would allow him to depart if director Helmut Marko leaves the team. And former F1 driver Johnny Herbert has asked whether similar wording might be in place around Newey's departure.
Jos Verstappen, meanwhile, has been vocal in his assessment of the reigning Formula 1 constructors' champions in the light of the latest news. "The team is in danger of falling apart," he told De Telegraaf.
"I was afraid of that earlier this year," Jos continued. "For internal peace, it is important that key people stay on board. That is not the case now. Newey is leaving and earlier this year it also looked like Helmut [Marko] would be sent away. For the future, that is not good."
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