Max Verstappen says Adrian Newey’s departure from Red Bull is “not as dramatic as it seems” and that he has full faith in the remaining technical staff to continue the team’s recent success.
Newey will leave in the first quarter of 2025 after 19 years at Red Bull, during which time he has helped the team to win seven drivers’ championships and six constructors’ titles. The news continues a tumultuous start to the year for Red Bull that began with a power struggle behind the scenes and Christian Horner being investigated for his behavior towards a female colleague, but the significance of Newey’s departure is being overstated, according to Verstappen.
“Of course Adrian from when he started at Red Bull, he was incredibly important for the success that they had,” Verstappen said. “Of course over time his role has changed a bit, and a lot of people don’t understand what he was actually doing.
“I don’t say he wasn’t doing anything, but his role has evolved. A lot of good people came into the team that have strengthened that whole department.
“Of course I would have preferred him to stay, because you can always rely on his experience and just as a person he is a great guy to chat to and relate to. He is very bright, very smart but he would also talk to the driver and interpret that into the car, in terms of he would try to imagine himself driving.
“But I also really trust that the technical team we have outside of Adrian is very, very strong. They have basically shown that with the last few years, with how competitive the car is. From the outside, it looks very dramatic. But I think if you know what is happening inside the team it is not as dramatic as it seems.”
Verstappen doesn’t believe Newey’s decision will have a major impact on the capabilities of Red Bull to defend its position as Formula 1’s current dominant team.