Red Bull’s former F1 design chief Adrian Newey.
Adrian Newey has responded to claims Red Bull’s performance drop-off has coincided with the announcement he will be leaving the team next season.
Newey’s next move was announced on Tuesday as it was confirmed he will be heading to Aston Martin, after months of speculation about his plans following a departure from Red Bull in March 2025.
Adrian Newey: ‘I don’t know, because I’m not involved’
Red Bull has seen its performance advantage from last season and the start of the F1 2024 campaign reeled in by McLaren, along with Ferrari and Mercedes also strengthening as the season has progressed.
Both Max Verstappen and Christian Horner firmly denied there was any link to Newey’s departure playing a part in the team being caught up, instead staying the wider team has its part to play in turning around their fortunes.
The man himself believed he was in no position to comment either, having not worked on the RB20 since the Japanese Grand Prix in April, while acknowledging that he held a “suspicion” putting his upcoming exit alongside Red Bull’s dominance ending would have been part of the story of the season.
When the theory of there being a ‘connection’ between Red Bull’s performance drop and the announcement of his departure having been a narrative this year was put to him, Newey told the Autocar podcast: “I had a suspicion that it might be.
“I have heard it. I have to be honest, I don’t really read the press for a kind of personal reason going back to my Leyton House days, but the reality is, I can’t comment.
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“I really can’t comment because once I’m out, I’m out, and so that means I haven’t been able to contribute to the development of the car since April.
“But why the team is being less competitive recently? I don’t know, because I’m not involved.”
“I’m in this sort of slightly odd period of semi-garden leave at the moment, in as much as the last time I was involved with the Formula 1 car here was up to and including the Suzuka race weekend at the end of April,” he added.
“Since then, I’ve been out of Formula 1, but have been concentrating my efforts on the RB17 track car.
“So I’ll continue to be working on the 17 through until the first of March, and then the second of March, I will change my location.”
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