A spokesperson stated that they were not aware of his affiliation with any other team. However, according to the BBC, the 65-year-old Briton believes he can negotiate his departure to work for a different team starting next season.
Newey, whose vehicles secured 25 F1 championships for Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull, could not be immediately reached for comment.
The BBC and the German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, which were the first to report the story, mentioned that the Briton informed Red Bull of his desire to move on due to allegations involving team principal Christian Horner.
Horner was cleared in February of improper conduct towards a staff member, who appealed against the decision.
Red Bull is currently dominant with three-time world champion Max Verstappen, but Newey has been a frequent target for top teams. He has been hesitant to leave England, where most teams are located.
Ferrari, which will have seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton joining them next season from Mercedes, and UK-based Aston Martin were mentioned as possible future employers and have shown interest.
Hamilton joined McLaren in 2007, two years after Newey joined Red Bull. The designer’s 2023 car was the most dominant in the sport’s history, winning 21 out of 22 races. Internally, the World Champions have been facing turbulence since before the start of the season.
Mercedes, currently struggling after a period of dominance, has openly pursued Verstappen as a possible replacement for Hamilton in 2025.
Red Bull will end its partnership with Honda at the end of next season and will develop its own engine with support from Ford as the sport enters a new era of power units in 2026.
Prominent technical employees like Newey often face a period of absence when leaving a team, meaning Newey may not be available immediately, although he may also choose to retire.
Red Bull has been dealing with turbulence since before the start of the season, with Horner at the center of attention and facing issues with Verstappen’s father, Jos, and Red Bull’s motor sports consultant, Helmut Marko.
Formula 1 veteran Marko and the Verstappens have a close relationship, with Max linking his future with the team to the presence of the Austrian.
Newey is considered as crucial to Red Bull’s success as Verstappen, even though the British designer does not work alone and has a team of highly skilled designers and aerodynamicists collaborating with him.
Technical director Pierre Wache, in particular, has taken on a bigger role and is highly respected, with Ferrari also expressing interest in hiring him as Hamilton paves the way for a final chapter with the sport’s greatest designer. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin)
