Formula 1: Adrian Newey ‘shocked and surprised’ over reaction to Red Bull exit

Legendary Formula 1 car designer Adrian Newey has said he was left "shocked and surprised" over the reaction he received from the fans after announcing his departure from Red Bull. The British engineer made the announcement before the Miami Grand Prix followingmonths of speculations over his future amid the ongoing Christian Horner saga.

Newey, who prefers to stay "under theradar" said he was surprised by the recognition for his achievements in the sport.

“I mean, I’ve been doing the job I’ve always wanted to since I was a kid. That’s my passion.AndI enjoy working with the drivers, the engineers in the team, all the other mechanics at the factory, etc. That’s what gets me up and motivates me," said Newey.

“The kind of other side of it is something [which] I guess comes as part of the package, but not something I ever think about. So it has been a bit of a shock and a surprise almost," he added.

Newey is expected to depart Red Bull at the end of the first quarter of 2025, having been associated with the team for close to two decades. During his stay on the paddock, Newey managed to clinch 12 F1 Constructors and 13 Drivers Championships and could potentially walk away with another two trophies in the bag.

Although Newey has been linked to multiple teams since the announcement, it appears that the Briton would be taking some time away from the sport.

“It’s probably surprise more than anything because I never think about that, so statistics and all that isn’t something that drives me, it’s what I do and I just kind of normally end up under the radar and I’m very happy with that," he added.

Verstappen on Newey

Current F1 World Champion, Max Verstappen, admitted that he did not want Newey to leave but played downthe impact that his departure hadon theteam'sperformance.

“Adrianfromwhen he started at RedBullwasincredibly importantfor the success that they had, over time his role has changed a bitanda lot of peopledon’tunderstand what he wasactuallydoing,”he said.

The three-time world champion further played down the impactsayingNewey'sdeparture may have looked"dramatic"from the outsidebutwhat was happening inside the team was"not as dramatic as it seems".

(With inputs from agencies)