News came out just before the Miami Grand Prix that Red Bull’s chief technical officer Adrian Newey would be leaving the team. Then, Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren, stated that he thinks this is only the beginning for the Austrian team. He said that there were a lot of resumes floating around the paddock. The kicker: mostly from Red Bull employees. And on top of all that, you had the Christian Horner allegations and Max Verstappen being poached by Mercedes. So, what’s exactly happening at Red Bull?
Resumes Floating Around
In terms of resumes floating around the paddock, that’s fairly normal for Red Bull. A lot of people in a different assortment of departments come and go to and from the team as they please. It’s also just normal in F1, as it was revealed that a bunch of Mercedes mechanics moved on and joined Red Bull. This isn’t really anything to worry about for Red Bull, as it’s been happening really ever since they were a team.
Christian Horner
When the allegations came up about Team Principal Christian Horner, the news shook the entire paddock, not just Red Bull. In early February, reports came out that a female worker told the parent company that Horner had engaged in “inappropriate, controlling behavior.” Red Bull responded immediately and conducted an investigation inside the team. But on February 28th, it was deemed those accusations were untrue. After those allegations were said to be untrue, Red Bull then suspended the female employee with full pay. Horner still remains with the team today.
Adrian Newey’s Departure
Adrian Newey, the chief technical officer at Red Bull, who has been with the team for 18 years, is leaving the team during the Q1 stage of 2025. Newey, 65, has been in Formula One since 1988. He started off his career with March/Leyton House, and his first car build shocked a couple people. He then went to Williams in 1992, which really kicked off his legendary status. Newey won five Constructors’ championships with Williams. In 1997, after Senna’s death, he was kicked off the team due to manslaughter charges. He then went on to win a title at McLaren in 1998, but after that, he was silent.
In 2006, he went to the Austrian team, where he would win four championships from 2010 to 2013. And of course, he’s winning with them again. In total, he has 12 Constructors’ Championships and 13 Drivers’ Championships. Newey leaving Red Bull could really hurt them, as he is a mastermind at building superior cars. He is truly the GOAT at his craft.
Max Verstappen Leaving?
Max Verstappen, the best driver in the world, was poached by Mercedes. Mercedes is in search of a new top driver after Lewis Hamilton made the move over to Ferrari. Toto Wolff hasn’t been quiet about Verstappen moving from the Austrian to the German team. He was asked in an interview this past weekend about possibly making a move to Mercedes, and he said that money doesn’t drive him; winning does. And right now, Mercedes is nowhere near to having a winning car. So, he’ll probably stay with Red Bull. However, the regulations change in 2026. Red Bull might have the strongest car this year, but even by next year, teams like McLaren and Ferrari will be on the rise. Quickly. Will that change his mind?
Don’t forget to visit Belly Up Sports every day and follow Belly Up Racing on Twitter/X!
Featured Image: Bob Kupbens/Getty Images
