Christian Horner loses Red Bull mastermind as world champions confirm Adrian Newey will leave in major blow to the team… with move to Ferrari and joining Lewis Hamilton edging closer

Adrian Newey has today officially been released from his Red Bull contract early, allowing him to take up a position at Ferrari ahead of the new regulations due for introduction in 2026.

A move to Italy would bring F1’s most successful designer into partnership with Lewis Hamilton, who is joining the Scuderia next year.

That deal has yet to be done, but it is understood that Newey, 65, is wanted by Ferrari to act as their ‘super consultant’. He currently earns £15million a year at Red Bull and could double his salary with the potential switch.

The development is a blow to the world champion team and embattled boss Christian Horner, the team principal who brought Newey from McLaren to Red Bull nearly 20 years ago. They have since won seven drivers’ titles in two stints, through Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.

Newey will continue to attend races this season, including in Miami this weekend. He will continue working on his beloved RB17 supercar project before leaving the company next spring.

Red Bull insist Newey’s departure is not directly linked to the sex scandal that has engulfed the team since news of allegations of coercive behaviour were made against Horner in February, but driven by growing resentment at how he has been less than fully credited for the team’s success.

He was on the brink of resigning last year, too, but instead signed an improved offer.

The scandal – in which Horner has been cleared but which has gone to appeal – stirred the pot further. It is understood Newey felt Horner was grabbing too much of the limelight and that the contribution of his own design input was being unevenly shared with his French colleague, Pierre Wache.

Newey’s upcoming availability is a massive boost for Hamilton, 39, as he seeks a record eight title, this time in red. Newey is the greatest design guru Formula One has ever known, having triumphed with Williams, starting with Nigel Mansell’s 1992 championship win, and McLaren, before being poached by Red Bull.

He has been the nerdish genius behind an eye-watering 25 drivers’ and constructors’ titles.

Mail Sport understand Newey will either join Ferrari – the most likely outcome – or retire. There is no other team that he would imaginably join.

‘Ever since I was a young boy, I wanted to be a designer of fast cars. My dream was to be an engineer in Formula One, and I’ve been lucky enough to make that dream a reality. For almost two decades it has been my great honour to have played a key role in Red Bull Racing’s progress from upstart newcomer to multiple title-winning Team. 

‘However, I feel now is an opportune moment to hand that baton over to others and to seek new challenges for myself. In the interim, the final stages of development of RB17 are upon us, so for the remainder of my time with the Team my focus will lie there. 

‘I would like to thank the many amazing people I have worked with at Red Bull in our journey over the last 18 years for their talent, dedication and hard work. It has been a real privilege, and I am confident that the engineering Team are well prepared for the work going into the final evolution of the car under the four-year period of this regulation set. 

‘On a personal note, I would also like to thank the shareholders, the late Dietrich Mateschitz, Mark Mateschitz and Chalerm Yoovidhya for their unwavering support during my time at Red Bull, and Christian, who has not only been my business partner but also a friend of our respective families. Also, thanks to Oliver Mintzlaff for his stewardship and Eddie Jordan, my close friend and manager.’

Horner added: ‘All of our greatest moments from the past 20 years have come with Adrian’s hand on the technical tiller. His vision and brilliance have helped us to 13 titles in 20 seasons. His exceptional ability to conceptualise beyond F1 and bring wider inspiration to bear on the design of grand prix cars, his remarkable talent for embracing change and finding the most rewarding areas of the rules to focus on, and his relentless will to win have helped Red Bull Racing to become a greater force than I think even the late Dietrich Mateschitz might have imagined.

‘More than that, the past 19 years with Adrian have been enormous fun. For me, when Adrian joined Red Bull, he was already a superstar designer. Two decades and 13 Championships later he leaves as a true legend. He is also my friend and someone I will be eternally grateful to for everything he brought to our partnership. The legacy he leaves behind will echo through the halls of Milton Keynes and RB17 Track Car will be a fitting testament and legacy to his time with us.’