Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has criticised Aston Martin for what he described as their "premature" celebration of signing Formula 1’s aerodynamic legend Adrian Newey for the 2025 season.
Despite Newey remaining under contract with Red Bull until the end of 2024, Aston Martin held a grand meeting earlier this week to announce that the veteran engineer would be joining their team in March 2025.
Horner expressed his frustration during Friday's press conference at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, stating, “Yes, it was obviously a large announcement by Aston. And Adrian has always tended to do his own thing.
"So obviously it was a big moment for that team. They chose to celebrate it perhaps potentially slightly prematurely before he's finished his contract with Red Bull Racing. But obviously it was a big moment for that team."
Newey, who joined Red Bull in 2006 and played a pivotal role in Sebastian Vettel’s four consecutive world titles and Max Verstappen’s recent dominance, will leave Red Bull early in 2025 to join Aston Martin as a shareholder and managing technical partner.
His departure signals a major shift for both teams, with Aston Martin aiming to become a world championship-winning outfit under Newey’s guidance.
Adrian Newey will switch from Milton Keynes to Silverstone
Aston Martin’s ambitious plans
In their statement, Aston Martin confirmed that Newey would take up his new role on 1st March 2025, marking a major step in the team’s bid to join the sport’s elite.
Newey’s extensive experience and track record of engineering championship-winning cars will be key to Aston Martin’s long-term ambitions.
However, Horner’s comments suggest that Red Bull is far from pleased with the timing of Aston Martin’s announcement.
Red Bull's form have taken a dive since Newey has stepped back from day-to-day operations
Red Bull’s struggles since Newey departure news
Newey’s impending departure has coincided with a difficult period for Red Bull on the track.
Despite dominating the sport in recent years, the team has struggled following the introduction of several failed upgrades to the RB20, which upset the car’s balance.
These setbacks have allowed rivals like Ferrari and Mercedes to close the gap in the championship standings.
Red Bull confirmed that Newey will remain with the team until the first quarter of 2025, but fractures within the Milton Keynes-based team and growing speculation surrounding Horner’s leadership have further complicated matters.
Jos Verstappen and Horner have spearheaded Red Bull's internal struggles
As the 2024 season progresses, all eyes will be on how Red Bull navigates the challenges ahead without their technical mastermind.
For Aston Martin, the arrival of Newey represents an enormous opportunity to reshape the team’s future and, perhaps, challenge Red Bull’s supremacy.
But with Horner’s frustrations bubbling to the surface, the fallout from Newey’s move is likely to be felt long before the engineer officially makes the switch in 2025.
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