Christian Horner issues Adrian Newey response with ‘deep-rooted’ Red Bull’s…read more
In the wake of Adrian Newey’s departure from Red Bull Racing, team principal Christian Horner has addressed concerns regarding the development trajectory of the RB20 during the 2024 Formula 1 season. Newey, the esteemed designer behind many of Red Bull’s successful cars, expressed that his apprehensions about the RB20’s development were overlooked, leading to performance challenges for the team.
Red Bull’s 2024 season commenced with promise, as Max Verstappen secured seven victories in the first ten races, suggesting a continuation of their dominance. However, the team’s performance waned mid-season, resulting in a ten-race winless streak—their longest since 2020. This decline coincided with Newey stepping back from Formula 1 operations after the Miami Grand Prix announcement, entrusting technical director Pierre Wache with the car’s development.
Newey, who had been with Red Bull since 2006 and was instrumental in designing championship-winning cars, voiced his concerns about the RB20’s development direction. He suggested that a lack of experience among the engineering team might have contributed to the issues, stating, “What I can see from the outside… the guys at Red Bull… perhaps through lack of experience kept going in that same direction, and the problem became more and more acute.”
In response, Horner refuted the notion that inexperience was at the heart of their struggles. He emphasized that the challenges with the RB20 were already present during Newey’s tenure as chief technical officer, particularly throughout the 2023 season. Horner highlighted that the team’s technical department possesses a “deep-rooted” expertise, and the issues encountered were not solely due to Newey’s reduced involvement.
Technical director Pierre Wache provided further insight into the RB20’s performance woes. He identified a misalignment between wind tunnel data and on-track performance as a significant factor. This discrepancy led to misguided development paths, exacerbating balance problems and creating a “disconnected front and rear,” which made the car challenging to drive and resulted in inconsistent lap times.
The departure of key personnel, including Newey and Rob Marshall—who joined McLaren in 2024—has been a topic of discussion regarding its impact on Red Bull’s performance. Marshall’s move was notably credited by McLaren’s team principal, Andrea Stella, for significantly influencing their competitive resurgence.
Despite these setbacks, Red Bull managed to secure the Drivers’ Championship with Verstappen, although they fell short in the Constructors’ Championship, overtaken by McLaren and Ferrari. Horner remains optimistic about the team’s future, emphasizing the depth of talent within their ranks and their commitment to addressing the challenges faced during the 2024 season.
Looking ahead, Red Bull is focusing on refining their development processes to prevent a recurrence of the issues experienced with the RB20. This includes enhancing the correlation between simulation tools and on-track performance to ensure that future upgrades yield the desired results. The team is also investing in new infrastructure projects, such as an aerodynamic test facility and an F1 engine facility, aimed at enhancing competitiveness from the 2026 season.
In summary, while Adrian Newey’s departure and the subsequent performance decline of the RB20 have sparked discussions about the team’s development strategies, Christian Horner asserts that the challenges were multifaceted and not solely attributable to inexperience or staffing changes. Red Bull is actively working to learn from the 2024 season’s difficulties to return to their winning ways in the upcoming seasons.
