F1: Red Bull confirms exit of Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey in early 2025

Milton Keynes [UK], May 1 (ANI): Red Bull on Wednesday announced that Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey will leave the team's Technology Group in the first quarter of 2025 after almost 19 years at Milton Keynes.
"The engineering supremo will step back from Formula One design duties to focus on the final development and delivery of Red Bull's first hypercar, the hugely anticipated RB17. He will remain involved in and committed to this exciting project until its completion," Red Bull said in a statement on Wednesday.
https://twitter.com/redbullracing/status/1785607957427765517
Since joining Red Bull Racing in 2006, Adrian's vision and technical leadership has been instrumental for the Team and Group in achieving a remarkable seven F1 Drivers' and six Constructors' Championship titles - totalling 118 victories and 101 poles including the STR 2008 pole and victory.
Prior to Red Bull's second Formula One season in 2006, Newey joined the team. Over the years, he has played a significant role in the team's success, helping to transform the team from middle runners and point scorers into Grand Prix winners and world champions.
Red Bull has used Newey-designed cars to win six constructor titles and seven drivers titles--between Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, respectively--and they are now on track to repeat the feat in 2024.
But in the lead-up to the Miami Grand Prix, it has now been revealed that Newey will step down as Chief Technical Officer in the first quarter of 2025.
It was also revealed by a Red Bull statement that Newey would be leaving his role as Formula 1 designer in order to "focus on final development and delivery of Red Bull's first hypercar, the hugely anticipated RB17."
"Ever since I was a young boy, I wanted to be a designer of fast cars. My dream was to be an engineer in Formula One, and I've been lucky enough to make that dream a reality. 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. However, I feel now is an opportune moment to hand that baton over to others and to seek new challenges for myself. In the interim, the final stages of development of RB17 are upon us, so for the remainder of my time with the Team my focus will lie there," Chief Technical Officer Newey said in a statement.
He intends to see this initiative through to its conclusion and will keep going to certain races to support the Formula One team trackside until the end of the 2024 season.
"I would like to thank the many amazing people I have worked with at Red Bull in our journey over the last 18 years for their talent, dedication and hard work. It has been a real privilege, and I am confident that the engineering Team are well prepared for the work going into the final evolution of the car under the four-year period of this regulation set...
"On a personal note, I would also like to thank the shareholders, the late Dietrich Mateschitz, Mark Mateschitz and Chalerm Yoovidhya for their unwavering support during my time at Red Bull, and Christian, who has not only been my business partner but also a friend of our respective families. Also, thanks to Oliver Mintzlaff for his stewardship and Eddie Jordan, my close friend and manager," he added.
Red Bull Racing team principal and CEO Christian Horner hails the contribution of "a true F1 legend".
"All of our greatest moments from the past 20 years have come with Adrian's hand on the technical tiller. His vision and brilliance have helped us to 13 titles in 20 seasons. His exceptional ability to conceptualise beyond F1 and bring wider inspiration to bear on the design of grand prix cars, his remarkable talent for embracing change and finding the most rewarding areas of the rules to focus on, and his relentless will to win have helped Red Bull Racing to become a greater force than I think even the late Dietrich Mateschitz might have imagined. More than that, the past 19 years with Adrian have been enormous fun," Horner said.
"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. He is also my friend and someone I will be eternally grateful to for everything he brought to our partnership. The legacy he leaves behind will echo through the halls of Milton Keynes and RB17 Track Car will be a fitting testament and legacy to his time with us," he added.
One of the most admired and prosperous people in Formula 1 history, Newey has created numerous championship-winning vehicles for McLaren and Williams in the past. Adrian's first true design for the Team, RB3, achieved a podium finish at the 2007 European Grand Prix. (ANI)