Fewer F1 races, focus on Red Bull RB17

Adrian Newey and Red Bull. For 18 years this combination seemed almost inseparable. But at the age of 65, the Brit is ending his time with the series world champions. What the star engineer will do from 2025 is still unclear. A break or a move to a Formula 1 rival is on the cards. Newey no longer has access to the Red Bull Formula 1 data. The departure should be absorbed by the team structure. Newey’s focus is now on the Red Bull hypercar RB17.

Christian Horner: Are prepared for Newey’s departure

According to several Red Bull voices, the Newey loss should not be particularly serious. The team can compensate for this loss. Team boss Christian Horner also confirms this. “We’ve built a structure to just keep going. That’s something we’ve built over the last five or six years,” explains Horner.

“It’s a shame that he’s leaving the team, but he’s leaving it in a good condition. We have a lot of great people who will help us move forward,” Horner remains optimistic. “We knew that this day would come at some point. This structure has been in place since 2014, when Adrian was on the verge of leaving us.”

It started in 2014 Formula 1 enters a new era. That of turbo hybrid engines. An era that many people didn’t like at all, especially back then. Red Bull fell behind as the previous dominator of Formula 1 with Sebastian Vettel. The criticism of the new regulations: The noses were ugly, the engines were too quiet and the cars were generally too unaesthetic and complex. Newey didn’t like that either, but he decided to stay around ten years ago.

Newey: Less F1 races in 2024, more Red Bull RB17

However, 2024 will be his last year. And that’s not even a real year in the premier class. Because in 2024 Newey should devote itself to the new RB17. The hypercar is said to come with over 1000 hp. That’s why he’s taking part in significantly fewer races than in the past.

“He wasn’t in any briefings, apart from the race strategy. But he no longer has access to the data. He doesn’t sketch anything anymore because until the end of his contract his focus is on the RB17. He will still be in some races until the end of the year, but primarily at races where RB17 customers will also be there,” explains Horner.

And after the RB17? “I think Adrian will take some time off. At 65, you can’t blame him for that. He has the right to do that, and what he does afterwards is his decision,” said Horner. In any case, this is not a clear denial of a possible change.

But not everyone agrees with Christian Horner. Formula 1 expert Christian Danner believes Red Bull dominance will end without Adrian Newey. You can read his opinion here.