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Marko Drops Bombshell on Newey’s Departure: “Red Bull Struggled Without Him”

Simon Monroy by Simon Monroy
January 28, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Marko Drops Bombshell on Newey’s Departure: “Red Bull Struggled Without Him”

NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JULY 05: Oracle Red Bull Racing Team Consultant Dr Helmut Marko talks with Oracle Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner in the garage prior to practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 05, 2024 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202407050256 // Usage for editorial use only //

Helmut Marko, never one to shy away from a bold statement, has reignited discussions about Adrian Newey’s departure from Red Bull Racing in May 2024. The 81-year-old Red Bull advisor candidly admitted that the team’s engineering department stumbled in the absence of its technical mastermind, despite Christian Horner’s assertions to the contrary.


The Void Left by Adrian Newey

Newey’s exit to Aston Martin as their Managing Technical Partner left Red Bull in a precarious position. Though the team celebrated Max Verstappen’s fourth Drivers’ Championship in 2024, it was a far cry from their dominance in earlier years. McLaren and Lando Norris emerged as the new benchmark, with Ferrari and Mercedes also finding their footing in a highly competitive grid.

Marko didn’t sugarcoat the impact of Newey’s absence:

“We had started well, dominating; but since Newey left, our engineers have struggled a bit to extract the maximum from the car,” he said in an interview with Autosprint. “At the end of the season, things gradually went in the right direction, and we can say that we are very optimistic for the future.”


From Dominance to Disarray

Red Bull’s 2024 campaign started strong, with Verstappen’s brilliance masking early signs of inconsistency. However, the RB20’s unpredictability reared its head mid-season, with the team experiencing highs like the Chinese Grand Prix victory and lows like the Italian Grand Prix, where they finished over 35 seconds behind McLaren and Ferrari.

Christian Horner attempted to downplay the struggles, attributing them to a longstanding issue hidden by Verstappen’s extraordinary talent. Marko, however, refuted this narrative:

“The team’s difficulties were not just pre-existing problems. Newey’s departure left a gap in our ability to extract performance consistently.”


The Verstappen Factor

While Red Bull works to stabilize its technical trajectory, Marko remains confident in the team’s greatest asset: Max Verstappen.

“We realistically go in with a big advantage, which is to have the absolute number one driver on the team, which is Verstappen. It will be enough to give him a competitive car, and overall, the rest he will take care of.”

However, reports suggest that Verstappen himself could be eyeing a move to Aston Martin by 2026, where Newey’s influence is already taking shape. Such rumors have only intensified pressure on Red Bull to deliver a title-contending package in 2025 to keep their star driver loyal.


2025: A Pivotal Year

With Newey’s absence still looming large, Red Bull faces a crucial season. McLaren and Ferrari have raised the bar, and Mercedes appears poised to re-enter the title fight. As Marko emphasized, success will hinge on delivering a predictable, balanced car:

“This year, we will see the team in front that can best get the single-seater into the ideal performance window.”

Can Red Bull overcome the challenges posed by Newey’s departure and maintain their spot at the top? Or will 2025 mark the beginning of a changing tide in Formula 1? One thing is certain: the fight for supremacy is far from over.

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