Breaking: Christian Horner Criticized Over Adrian Newey’s Departure from Red Bull… read more

Christian Horner Criticized Over Adrian Newey’s Departure from Red Bull

Christian Horner has come under fire following the departure of Adrian Newey, Red Bull Racing’s legendary designer, whose exit appears to have triggered a noticeable decline in the team’s recent performance.

The renowned Formula 1 engineer officially left the team midway through the 2024 season. His absence is now being keenly felt, with questions being raised about the team’s ability to remain dominant in his absence. One of the loudest voices of concern is former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, who believes that Horner bears responsibility for losing such a pivotal figure.

Speaking to Sky Germany, Schumacher was critical of Red Bull’s decision-making. He emphasized the irreplaceable nature of Newey’s contributions, expressing doubts about the ability of Pierre Wache—Newey’s successor as Technical Director—to match the same level of innovation and leadership.

“In my opinion, Pierre Wache is simply not Adrian Newey,” Schumacher stated. “It’s going to be difficult. Adrian built the entire team’s foundation alongside Dr. Helmut Marko. Horner should have recognized his value and ensured he stayed.”

Schumacher also suggested that Horner may have underestimated Newey’s importance and overestimated the team’s ability to thrive without him. “If you think everything will continue to work without a key figure like that, you’re mistaken. I think Christian Horner has miscalculated and now he’s facing the consequences.”

While it may be too early to draw a direct line between Newey’s exit and Red Bull’s recent struggles, the timing is difficult to ignore. The RB21, Red Bull’s current car, has faced development issues that the team has struggled to resolve. Horner himself has admitted to inconsistencies between their wind tunnel data and real-world track performance—an unusual issue for a team once renowned for its technical accuracy and speed.

Even with Max Verstappen’s talent behind the wheel, Red Bull has not been able to stretch their lead over rivals as they have in previous seasons. Their results in 2025 so far have been mixed, and the pressure is building, especially with Verstappen reportedly growing frustrated over the lack of progress.

This unease has reignited speculation about Verstappen’s future. Rumors are circulating that he may be eyeing a potential move to Aston Martin—especially significant now that Adrian Newey has joined their technical team. Newey took on the role of Managing Technical Partner at Aston Martin in March and is already deeply involved in designing their 2026 car. The team hopes his influence will elevate them from mid-table mediocrity to genuine championship contenders.

With Newey now helping Aston Martin prepare for the major regulation changes in 2026, Red Bull faces a challenging path forward. Losing not only their technical mastermind but potentially their star driver could signal a shift in the balance of power within Formula 1.

For Horner, the pressure is mounting. The responsibility of guiding Red Bull through this transition—and possibly rebuilding without one of the sport’s greatest designers—will test his leadership more than ever before.