F1 boss Christian Horner issues SHOCK statement on Red Bull release

Red Bull

Horner issues SHOCK statement on Red Bull release

The Red Bull boss has dealt with several key departures in 2024

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Saturday 28 December 2024 13:48

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Red Bull Formula 1 boss Christian Horner has issued a shock statement following the release of a key member of the team.

The 2024 season was a tumultuous one for the Milton Keynes-based outfit, with problems both on and off the track.

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A stunning start to 2024 catapulted both Red Bull and Max Verstappen to the top of the championship standings, but a huge decline in performance allowed a number of teams to catch up to the reigning champions.

Eventually, Red Bull only managed to finish third in the constructors' championship, while a supreme Verstappen was able to cling on to his championship lead in the drivers' championship, despite fierce competition from McLaren's Lando Norris.

Max Verstappen is now a four-time world champion

Adrian Newey has signed with Aston Martin for 2024

Red Bull's difficult 2024

Several rows broke out within the Red Bull team at the start of the year, following an internal investigation into Horner's conduct which cleared him of any wrongdoing, with Jos Verstappen publicly berating the team principal and Helmut Marko's future with the team called into question.

While things have simmered down at Red Bull, they have lost a number of key team members, including sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, and design genius Adrian Newey, who will complete a move to Aston Martin in 2025.

Despite announcing his departure earlier in the season, Newey did still work for Red Bull for a number of months, mainly focusing on their hypercar project.

Now, Horner has stated that the legendary design chief did not have a single bit of input on the design of the upcoming 2025 car, as the team hope to get themselves back above Ferrari and McLaren.

"This is the first time that Adrian will have had absolutely no input into the car," he told Sky Sports F1, via RacingNews365. "That’s for the team to step up to that challenge.

"I’m confident they can do that. They've got strength and depth and we’ll see what the RB21 looks like when it's unveiled at the end of January."