Adrian Newey took the decision to leave McLaren and join Red Bull in 2005 after ongoing tensions with then McLaren boss Ron Dennis. Newey, widely considered one of the greatest designers in the history of motorsport, had remarkable success with Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull. After nearly twenty years of service, the Briton is moving on in Milton Keynes. Reflecting on his decision to join Red Bull, Newey recalls that many believed it would be detrimental to his career.
At the time, Newey was working at McLaren, but there were conflicts between him and the team leader. It was Christian Horner, a young and ambitious individual, who managed to convince Newey to join the newly formed Red Bull team. This happened after the energy drink company took over the Formula 1 team from Jaguar. Many considered Newey’s move risky as he was leaving the iconic British team for the more unconventional Red Bull team based in Milton Keynes.
However, Newey and Red Bull proved the skeptics wrong. They clinched four consecutive titles between 2010 and 2013, establishing themselves as one of the top teams in Formula 1. Newey admits it was a tough decision to leave the Austrian team given their recent dominance in the sport.
Newey’s contributions to Red Bull were invaluable as he played a crucial role in transforming the team into a motorsport leader. Some believe Milton Keynes may struggle without his expertise. However, Newey himself stated that Red Bull’s success cannot solely be attributed to him as he gradually took on a less day-to-day role over the years.
Despite his departure, Newey believes that Red Bull Racing has matured over the past two decades and can continue to thrive in Formula 1 without him. His absence will certainly be felt in Milton Keynes, as he led the development of the cars for any technical changes. However, Newey denies claims that he did not enjoy this aspect of his role. Meanwhile, Red Bull will enter a new era without their Chief Technical Director, while Newey may take some time off before potentially joining another team.
