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Red Bull Minimizes Newey - Wheatley Exit Effect

Horner Shrugs Off Newey, Wheatley Departures Impact

02/10/2024

Christian Horner downplays the impact of losing key figures Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley, emphasizing that their departures represent just two out of 2,000 Red Bull team members.

Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal, stated that Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley were just two of the 2000 members of the team, over 200 of whom had been poached from Mercedes.

Red Bull is currently restructuring its key positions with the departures of high-profile figures like F1 design guru Adrian Newey, sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, and strategy director Will Courtenay.

Newey will take on the newly created role of technical partner director at Aston Martin starting in March 2025, while Wheatley will become team principal at Audi F1, as the German manufacturer prepares to join the F1 grid in 2026.

Courtenay, on the other hand, will become McLaren’s new sporting director.

Jos Verstappen reiterated that he had “warned” the Horner scandal would lead to significant departures. However, when asked about the losses of Newey and Wheatley, Horner emphasized that the duo represents only 0.1% of Red Bull Racing’s overall staff, noting that their public profile makes such exits more noticeable.

“Starting with Adrian… we’ve had an incredible journey with Adrian.”

“He has played a crucial role in everything we’ve done, and we’ll look back fondly and proudly on everything we’ve achieved together.”

“But he chose to take on a new challenge. We knew this was coming. In a way, we had been preparing for it.”

“Adrian has been on the verge of retirement for the past 10 years! So we had to prepare for it, and I believe we have strength and depth. He’s decided to stay in F1 but to continue elsewhere.”

“And of course, Jonathan, he’s also been a long-serving member, but these are two more well-known names. In reality, they’re just two people out of the 2,000 we have in the team.”

“We’ve recruited, I believe, nearly 250 people in the last 12 months as part of the powertrains project, within the brand-new engine facility we’re building.”

“We’re not talking about the over 200 people we’ve taken from Mercedes. There’s a lot of focus on the two people leaving because they’re a bit more in the public eye.”

Red Bull Minimizes Newey – Wheatley Exit Effect Red Bull Minimizes Newey – Wheatley Exit Effect

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