Red Bull fight to keep Adrian Newey amid exit talk over Christian Horner controversy

Newey (left) and Horner have been vital cogs in turning Red Bull into a powerhouse – Shutterstock/FRANCK ROBICHON

Red Bull have vowed to fight any rival move for Adrian Newey amid widespread rumours their star designer has told the team he wants to leave over the Christian Horner controversy.

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport claimed on Thursday the team’s chief technical officer – who has been behind all 13 of their drivers’ and constructors’ titles – was set to quit Milton Keynes, with Ferrari seen as his most likely destination. The BBC later reported that Newey has already “told the team that he wants to move on”, claiming the 65-year-old has become unsettled by the controversy surrounding team principal Horner.

Horner, 50, was accused earlier this year of controlling and coercive behaviour by a female employee. He strongly denied the allegations with the employee’s grievance case dismissed following an internal investigation carried out by a specialist barrister. The woman in question has appealed that finding, with an employment tribunal likely to follow should her appeal prove unsuccessful.

Rumours around Newey’s future have been rife since the Horner controversy first erupted at the start of the year, with Red Bull’s rivals alert to the possibility of landing a major scalp, or at the very least destabilising F1’s leading team.

Aston Martin are believed to have made a lucrative offer for the 65-year-old, with Ferrari also heavily linked, not least because Newey has admitted in the past that he would have enjoyed the challenge of working with the Scuderia – and with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who is moving to Ferrari from Mercedes next year. A Newey move to the Italian giants, to team up with Hamilton, would be seismic.

The Milton Keynes-based said in a statement Newey “has a contract until 2025 and added they were “unaware of him joining any other team”.

The British designer’s highly lucrative deal sees technical director Pierre Wache take day-to-day charge of Formula One, allowing Newey to work on a variety of projects outside of the sport – notably the RB17 supercar, which is due to be unveiled later this year. Newey only signed that contract 13 months ago. Red Bull’s statement suggests they will fight tooth and nail to hold him to it, meaning he would be unlikely to be able to join a rival before 2026.

Red Bull’s statement read: “Adrian is contracted until at least the end of 2025 and we are unaware of him joining any other team.”

Newey is expected to be in Miami next week where Red Bull will try to win their sixth grand prix in seven races this season. Speculation regarding Newey’s future will undoubtedly mean further questions for Max Verstappen in Miami.

The three-time world champion has repeatedly stressed the importance of keeping the senior team at Red Bull in place. In Saudi Arabia Verstappen – who has a contract until 2028 – even suggested he might leave the team if Red Bull’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko was fired. Marko and Verstappen’s father, Jos, have both fallen out with Horner.

Newey has been approached for comment.

Play The Telegraph’s brilliant range of Puzzles – and feel brighter every day. Train your brain and boost your mood with PlusWord, the Mini Crossword, the fearsome Killer Sudoku and even the classic Cryptic Crossword.