Helmut Marko rues 'painful' Adrian Newey departure

Helmut Marko has described Adrian Newey’s departure from Red Bull as ‘psychologically debilitating’.

Newey will leave the team in the first quarter of 2025, despite signing a new contract only 12 months ago.

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The reason for Newey’s departure is unknown, with Christian Horner suggesting he is taking time away from F1 to spend with his family.

Other reports suggest he could be moving to another team, with Lewis Hamilton stating it would be a ‘privilege’ to work with Newey at Ferrari.

What does Newey’s departure mean for Red Bull?

It has also been suggested that Adrian Newey is unsettled by the internal power struggle at Red Bull following accusations against Christian Horner.

Red Bull’s team principal was accused of inappropriate behaviour by a female employee, however an internal investigation cleared Horner of any wrongdoing.

Helmut Marko discussed the latest blow to the Red Bull team following Newey’s departure with Sky Germany.

“We are here to win the World Championship with Max again. Newey's departure is painful. He is the best designer in Formula 1 and was very respected as a person,” Marko said.

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“He was there for all problems, but on the other hand we have a well-rounded technical team with young talents, so I don't see any danger of us falling behind in terms of performance."

When asked about Newey’s next move, Marko seemed sure he will find his ‘racing spirit’ and work for another team in F1.

“Well, I'm afraid that after a certain period of reflection he will have the racing spirit again and then he will be available to another team and not to us,” he added.

“His greatest strength has always been that he was able to implement rule changes within F1 well, fortunately this will not be the case until 2026, until then I am convinced that our current team can bring in the necessary experience and knowledge to ensure that we remain competitive. But of course it is psychologically debilitating.”

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