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 [May 01, 2024]
Reuters) -Formula One's most sought after designer Adrian
Newey will leave Red Bull in the first quarter of 2025, after 19
years at the F1 team, Red Bull said in a statement on Wednesday.
The BBC and Germany's Auto Motor und Sport reported last month that
the Briton had told Red Bull he wanted to move on following
allegations about team principal Christian Horner.
Horner was cleared in February of alleged misconduct towards a
female employee, who has lodged an appeal against the outcome.
"For almost two decades it has been my great honour to have played a
key role in Red Bull Racing's progress from upstart newcomer to
multiple title-winning Team," Newey said in a statement.
"However, I feel now is an opportune moment to hand that baton over
to others and to seek new challenges for myself."
Newey cars have won 25 drivers' and constructors' championships for
Williams, McLaren and Red Bull. His 2023 car was the most dominant
in the sport's history with 21 wins from 22 races.
Red Bull said the 65-year-old would step back from Formula One
design duties but would continue to attend specific races until the
end of the current season.
"All of our greatest moments from the past 20 years have come with
Adrian's hand on the technical tiller," Horner said. "His vision and
brilliance have helped us to 13 titles in 20 seasons.
"For me, when Adrian joined Red Bull, he was already a superstar
designer. Two decades and 13 Championships later he leaves as a true
legend."
Red Bull are currently dominant with triple world champion Max
Verstappen but Newey has been a regular target for top teams.
He has been reluctant to leave England, where most of the teams are
based.
Ferrari, who will have seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton
joining them next season from Mercedes, and British-based Aston
Martin have been named as possible future employers and have made
overtures.
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Formula One F1 - Bahrain Grand Prix - Bahrain International Circuit,
Sakhir, Bahrain - March 2, 2024 Red Bull chief technical officer
Adrian Newey ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix REUTERS/Hamad I
Mohammed
Red Bull are finishing their partnership with Honda
at the end of next season and making their own engine with backing
from Ford when the sport starts a new power unit era in 2026.
The team have been going through turmoil since before the start of
the season, with Horner in the spotlight and having issues with
Verstappen's father Jos and Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut
Marko.
Formula One veteran Marko and the Verstappens are close, with Max
linking his future at the team to the Austrian remaining.
Newey is regarded as equally vital to Red Bull's success as
Verstappen, even if the Briton is not a one-man band and has a team
of highly-rated designers and aerodynamicists working with him.
(Reporting by Simon Jennings in BengaluruEditing by Christian
Radnedge)
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