Max Verstappen has claimed that design legend Adrian Newey’s impending departure from Red Bull’s Formula 1 team in 2025 is “not as dramatic as it seems”.
Following staunch rumours earlier in the week, Red Bull announced on Wednesday that Newey will step down from his role at the team in the first quarter of next term.
The Briton, 65, has been aligned with Red Bull since 2006 and has designed the cars that Verstappen has driven to three consecutive championships and 58 victories.
Although Verstappen admits that he wanted Newey to remain, the Dutchman believes that Red Bull’s recent achievements are a testament to its entire technical setup.
“Of course Adrian from when he started at Red Bull, he was incredibly important for the success that they had,” Verstappen told media including Motorsport Week.
“Of course I think over time, his role has changed a bit and a lot of people don’t understand what he was actually doing. I don’t say he wasn’t doing anything but his role has evolved.
“A lot of good people came into the team that have strengthened that whole department.
“Of course I would have preferred him to stay, for sure, because you can always rely on his experience and just as a person he is a great guy to chat to and relate to.
“Because he is very bright, very smart but he would also talk to the driver and interpret that into the car, in terms of he would try to imagine himself driving.
“But I also really trust that the technical team we have outside of Adrian is very, very strong. They have basically shown that with the last few years with how competitive the car is.
“From the outside, it looks very dramatic. But I think if you know what is happening inside the team it is not as dramatic as it seems.”
Asked whether he tried to convince Newey to overturn his choice, Verstappen expressed that he was not interested in dissuading people from prioritising their careers.
“I don’t need to convince anyone, because at the end of the day, if someone really wants to leave they should leave,” he asserted. “That’s also what I wrote to him.
“We talk, it’s not like suddenly we don’t talk. If you think that is the right decision for yourself and family, or you seek a different challenge or whatever, you have to do it.
“At the end of the day, F1 is a shark tank. Everyone thinks about themselves at the end of the day. I know that. I’m not stupid. So that’s fine.”
Verstappen conceded it would have been ideal to retain Newey but acknowledged that his contribution to Red Bull’s success merited the desire to pursue a new challenge.
“Like I said, I’m not disappointed because at the end of the day, he has to do what is best for himself,” he continued. “Would I have liked to see him stay? Yes, for sure.
“But if he says to me he wants to seek a different challenge, anyway, he’s done so much for the team. It’s not like he joined, hasn’t achieved anything and then leaves again.
“He has done so much that we are very appreciative of that. At one point, he’s been a part for I don’t know how many years, like 19, 20 years.
“If you then at one point say that’s enough, I want to do something else, that’s fine as well. But you cannot deny we would probably have preferred him to stay.”
Newey’s egress has accentuated speculation that Verstappen could seek to become the next high-profile exit from Red Bull as he continues to be linked with Mercedes.
However, the three-time champion has refuted that he might be reviewing his options, citing that Red Bull is providing him with the best package to win races and titles.
Asked about the impact it could have on his future amid the power struggle within the team, Verstappen replied: “I think all of these things a couple of years ago would have been a bit unexpected but I think it is always very important to remain calm and focused on your job, know who you’re working with, feel comfortable.
“At the end of the day, we need to have the fastest car, that’s what I always demanded, that’s what we finally got for a couple of years now.
“And we have a very strong technical team that are part of the team still for a long time. It goes on like it was going before.”
Discussion about this post