Red Bull issue tribute to 'true legend' Newey

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has delivered praise to Adrian Newey following confirmation that the engineer will leave the team.

Newey, who is regarded as one of the greatest-ever car architects in Formula 1 history, has stepped back from design duties ahead of his formal departure at the beginning of 2025.

The Briton's remaining focus will be spent on the RB17 hypercar project, which is nearing completion.

Newey has built seven title-winning cars during his tenure at Red Bull, with the current RB20 looking on course to cruise to another championship after winning four out of the opening five grands prix this year.

Horner, who has worked in tangent with Newey for almost two decades at Red Bull, hailed the 65-year-old for his contribution.

“All of our greatest moments from the past 20 years have come with Adrian’s hand on the technical tiller,” said Horner.

“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.”

Horner 'eternally grateful' for Newey input

Newey's arrival at Red Bull in 2006 came following championship success at Williams and McLaren, teams he had been part of for several seasons.

Having opted to spend almost two decades at the energy drink-backed squad, Horner detailed he is “eternally grateful” for his input at the team.

“More than that, the past 19 years with Adrian have been enormous fun,” he 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.”