F1 boss hits out at Red Bull's 'politics' in Adrian Newey hint

Christian Horner, Helmut Marko, Bahrain Grand Prix, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

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F1 boss hits out at Red Bull's 'politics' in Newey hint

A team boss has criticised the internal power struggle within Red Bull.

Originally written by Sheona Mountford. This version is a translation.

Thursday 23 May 2024 16:00

A Formula 1 boss has criticised Red Bull for their internal struggle and team ‘politics’.

Whilst Red Bull have dominated the championship with Max Verstappen, the team have been embroiled in difficulties off-track.

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Earlier this year, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was accused of ‘inappropriate behaviour’ by a female colleague shrouding the team in controversy.

Following an internal investigation, Horner was cleared of any wrongdoing and the female employee was suspended.

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Red Bull have also been wounded by the loss of their chief technical officer Adrian Newey, who will depart the team at the beginning of 2025.

Newey may not be the last Red Bull employee to leave, after McLaren CEO Zak Brown suggested his team had received CVs from Red Bull staff.

Since Newey announced his departure there have been rumours about him moving to rival a team, such as Ferrari.

It has also been reported that Newey may return to Williams, a team he served at from 1991 to 1996, and designed dominant cars including Damon Hill’s championship winning FW18.

Williams team principal discussed the likelihood of Newey returning to Williams, whilst making a subtle dig at Red Bull’s ‘politics’.

“It was a light conversation more than anything else, saying it can't have been an easy decision and fundamentally wanting just to have an additional chat about things,” Vowels said.

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“But from a Williams perspective, obviously, that's where Adrian really cut his teeth for the first time. And I think we're a team without politics.”

“It’s a small team that's trying to make our way back to the front. I think it could fit very perfectly for someone that wants to potentially dig into a challenge like that.

“More than that, I mean, what is great about Williams is that it has retained the family feel to it. We're not driven by an OEM.”

Red Bull Max Verstappen Ferrari Christian Horner Williams Adrian Newey