Adrian Newey leaving Red Bull in 2025

Legendary Formula One engineer Adrian Newey will depart Red Bull in the first quarter of 2025 after 19 years, the team announced Wednesday.

"Ever since I was a young boy, I wanted to be a designer of fast cars. My dream was to be an engineer in F1, and I've been lucky enough to make that dream a reality," Newey said in a statement. "For almost two decades, it has been my great honor to have played a key role in Red Bull Racing's progress from upstart newcomer to multiple title-winning team. However, I feel now is an opportune moment to hand that baton over to others and to seek new challenges for myself."

Newey will pull back from F1 duties and focus on finishing Red Bull's hypercar project, the RB17, until his exit.

He won't have to serve any gardening leave when he becomes available next year and can join a new team to begin work toward the 2026 regulations, The Athletic's Luke Smith and Madeline Coleman report.

Ferrari and Aston Martin are reportedly interested in adding Newey.

Newey leaves Red Bull after team principal Christian Horner was accused of "inappropriate behavior" by a female employee. Red Bull dismissed the misconduct allegations in February following an investigation, and Horner has denied the claims. Andrew Benson of the BBC reported last week that Newey was exiting the team because he was unsettled with the situation.

Newey joined Red Bull in 2006 and has been instrumental in the team winning six constructors' titles and seven drivers' championships. Red Bull and Max Verstappen lead their respective standings in 2024, which could add to his tally for the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

"For me, when Adrian joined Red Bull, he was already a superstar designer," Horner said in the statement. "Two decades and 13 championships later, he leaves as a true legend."

The British engineer has won 12 constructors' championships and 13 drivers' titles over his decorated career, which also includes tenures at Williams and McLaren.