Marko fears no domino effect after Newey departure: 'That's wishful thinking'
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- Nicole Mulder
Helmut Marko is mourning the imminent departure of Adrian Newey at Red Bull Racing. At the same time, he points out that the master designer had already stepped down from his role in the team. The Red Bull consultant dismisses the suggestion that Newey's departure will cause a chain reaction, stating that's 'Wishful thinking from the competition'.
It is mostly suggested that Newey is parting ways with the team due to the controversy that has arisen around team boss Christian Horner, as well as the internal power struggle that is said to have arisen. According to Marko, however, the reason is much simpler. "He is an excellent designer who has somehow lost the passion," he writes in his column for Speedweek.com.
Marko fears no domino effect after Newey's departure
"I personally find this very unfortunate, but we have had a very broad and well-positioned technical team over the years, with experienced people like Pierre Waché and younger people like Enrico Balbo and Ben Waterhouse. We are in a good position in all areas and I see it as wishful thinking from the competition that there would be a domino effect. So far, there are no signs of this happening," Marko assures.
"Of course, the 2026 rule change will be a special challenge for us and everyone else, and losing someone like Newey is always painful. But you also have to remember that he was no longer with the company on a daily basis. He was more the one who oversaw everything. He is just retiring and we have to live with that," said the 81-year-old Austrian.
Newey's announced departure was the topic of conversation in the Formula 1 paddock during the Miami Grand Prix. The 65-year-old Briton is largely retiring from the F1 project and will focus mainly on the RB17, his self-designed hypercar. After this year, he will permanently resign from Red Bull.