Guenther Steiner (former F1 team principal) discussed Adrian Newey's recently announced departure from Red Bull Racing.
After almost 20 years of working with the team, Adrian Newey decided at the end of April 2024 that he no longer wanted to be part of Red Bull Racing.
While Red Bull said the reason for his exit was that he was tired and wanted a change, rumors suggested he wasn't happy with the internal situation (conflicts and power struggle) of the team from Milton Keynes.
The 65-year-old is one of the most valuable members of the Austrian team, and Steiner knows this very well. Last year, he was asked which person in the F1 paddock he would take to Haas (his former team) if he could.
Many would think about someone like Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen, but the ex-team principal said he would take Adrian Newey because no driver can win with a slow car.
On the other hand, many drivers can win with a faster one, and the British car designer has the knowledge to make any car on the grid quicker.
Consequently, it also surprised Steiner that Red Bull let Newey join another F1 team already next year. He told RacingNews365:
"What surprised me is that he can go and work for another team already next year, I think we are all surprised by that one."
If Newey joined another team like Ferrari at the beginning of 2025, he could have a significant influence on their 2026 concept, which could disadvantage Red Bull.
The team from Milton Keynes reportedly could put Newey on one-year gardening leave, which would have allowed him to join another team at the start of 2026, but they decided not to do so out of respect for their star designer. Steiner added:
"Red Bull will have a good 2025 car with or without Adrian. Will he change a car in 2025 if he joins a team in '25? No. But it is 2026, that is what I always see in F1."
"The short-term, that is what I always see in F1, it is very clearly written down what is happening and in the medium to long-term, it is about who will be at which place in two or three years."
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