Ex-F1 strategist claims there will be “massive repercussions” if Red Bull let Adrian Newey go

Red Bull has been soaring in headlines recently, but not with the ones they would have intended. Their chief designer, Adrian Newey is reported to have informed the Milton Keynes camp regarding his intentions to leave the team. Subsequently, former F1 strategist turned TV presenter, Bernadette Collins has claimed Red Bull would face major repercussions if Newey does go.

Since the start of the 2024 season, Red Bull does not seem to be getting a sigh of relief as they have constantly been on the receiving end of controversies. The constant frenzy has had a negative impact on the work atmosphere and this may have led Adrian Newey to decide that he did not want to continue his current role with the team.

Subsequently, Bernadette Collins reckons it would be a big blow to the Austrian camp if the speculations did turn out to be true.

I think is what Christian [Horner] is trying to say, ‘you know, there’s a lot of other designers working in the background. But this team is built around Adrian[Newey]. He’s grown the team, he’s built the structure, and the bigger power struggle is worrying as well. This would mean that Adrian will not be there for the change in regulations for 2026 and that will have massive repercussions for the performance of this car.

Bernadette Collins said in her show on Sky Sports F1

The former head of strategy at Aston Martin claimed that Christian Horner‘s disregard for his chief designer’s major role in car development could be consequential as the team is built around him. Newey has structured the aerodynamic department at Red Bull for a long time and if he ultimately leaves the team, then the outfit might get in trouble as the new era of regulations is fast approaching.

Would Adrian Newey’s departure unsettle the team?

F1 experts have deemed Newey’s potential move away from Red Bull to be filled with consequences for the reigning champions. However, a senior figure leaving the team could motivate others to also leave the Austrian camp. This situation could be harmful for the Austrian team and they could topple down in the standings.

Former Ferrari engineer, Ernest Knoors gave an insight into how things could quickly go wrong in Milton Keynes.

When such a leading figure of your team and such a greatness leaves, it always creates question marks with the people who work under it. It creates unrest in that organisation. It makes people, engineers and mechanics, more open to offers from other teams, and you always have that with a team that performs at the top of its game for a very long time. At some point people then start looking around, maybe the people who are not quite at the top. Are there opportunities? Are there openings on other teams where they can step up?

Ernest Knoors said in an interview with RacingNews365

Knoors explained that when such a senior figure departs, the outfit usually loses direction and starts a downward spiral. Subsequently, this leads to employees being open to moving to rivals and a situation of lack of experienced personnel in the team arises.

Despite this, Red Bull is firm in its stance that Newey will stay with the team for the foreseeable future. However, things quickly change in the F1 landscape, and Newey could certainly be seen packing his bags for good and leaving Red Bull after an extremely long tenure!

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