CEO of McLaren, Zak Brown, criticizes rival Red Bull after news of the imminent departure of technology guru, Adrian Newey. Brown expressed little surprise at the development and suggested there may be more departures from the dominant team. Newey’s departure, which will allow him to join a competing project in early 2025, is believed to be linked to recent allegations against Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner. Brown sees a connection between Horner’s situation and Newey’s departure, viewing Red Bull as a “destabilized” team. He hinted that Newey’s departure may be the first of many, based on the number of resumes circulating.
Asked about the potential increase in Red Bull employees seeking new opportunities, Brown confirmed that McLaren had indeed noticed an increase in resumes coming from the Red Bull team. However, Aston Martin team principal, Mike Krack, denied experiencing a similar increase in resumes at his team. Red Bull’s Laurent Mekies took the opportunity to make a lighthearted comment about cooperation between Red Bull-owned teams, which seemed to please Brown.
Regarding the impact of Newey’s departure, Brown acknowledged his status as the most successful designer in history. He highlighted Newey’s technical expertise and the appeal of working alongside him. Brown believes that Red Bull will miss both his technical contributions and his leadership. However, despite these comments, Brown did not indicate that McLaren is actively seeking Newey. He expressed confidence in the work being done by the McLaren team and in their ability to regain their position at the front of the pack.
