Adrian Newey leaves Red Bull for Aston Martin. The Green Party’s big boo about the signing of the design guru goes down badly with Christian Horner
This presentation must have particularly hurt Christian Horner: As expected, Aston Martin’s presentation of new signing Adrian Newey did not go down particularly well with the Red Bull team boss – the British driver is particularly annoyed by the timing, as Newey is still under contract with the world champion team from Milton Keynes for almost six months.
Horner therefore has his own opinion on the specially convened press conference held at Silverstone on Tuesday to announce Newey’s new role in billionaire Lawrence Stroll’s team: “Of course it was a big announcement from Aston, and Adrian has always tended to do his own thing,” says the Briton.
“They decided to celebrate it perhaps a little prematurely before he finished his contract with Red Bull Racing. But it was obviously a big moment for this team.”
In general, however, the announcement came as “no great surprise” to him, according to Horner: “I think it became increasingly clear that this was the direction he was going to take – rather than retire or go to some other team,” explained the Red Bull team boss.
Horner: Newey “unique” in many ways
“It will be a new challenge for him and it will be sad to see him go next year. But we wish him all the best for the future,” said Horner. Newey will remain at Red Bull until March 1 before taking up the position of overall technical director at Aston Martin.
Aston Martin is getting a special employee in many respects, believes Newey’s previous boss: “Adrian is obviously a very creative guy, certainly not your average designer. I think he’s the only person in Formula One who still works at the drawing board, so there will inevitably be a process of getting to know each other, how you work and so on,” Horner believes.
“He is unique in many ways, and I think Aston will obviously try to draw on his wealth of experience,” says the Briton, who, however, wants to look at the approaching farewell to the design guru without bitterness, but rather positively, ‘after almost 20 years together, with ups and downs during that time’.
Things must now continue at Red Bull without Newey. Horner explains: “But I am looking forward to the future and think we are well positioned for it.” Even without the headstrong mastermind in the design office in Milton Keynes …