Christian Horner‘s right-hand man Adrian Newey is in advanced talks to join Ferrari, according to a report.
Chief technical officer Newey has played a vital role in designing Red Bull cars that have brought so much success over the years, including winning the last three world championships with Max Verstappen.
He has been dubbed the ‘aero king’, helping the team become the dominant constructor on the track, with the current both driver and constructors championship leaders set to storm to yet another two world titles this year.
There has however been unrest in the team since the furore over the Horner saga, in which he was investigated and subsequently cleared after accusations of ‘coercive behaviour’ towards a female colleague, and it remains unclear what their future looks like.
According to BILD, Newey could be on his way out of the team, with Ferrari looking increasingly likely they will be able to lure the 65-year-old to the red side.
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Christian Horner (pictured) is at risk of losing his right-hand man, who is said to be in talks with Ferarri
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Discussions between the Prancing Horse and Adrian Newey (pictured) are said to be advanced
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Reports have also suggested that Horner has been keen to push Newey – dubbed the ‘aero king’ – out of his team
Horner – who earns £8million a year as team principal – was the subject of an internal investigation last month after accusations, which he has denied throughout the process, were made against him, before he was cleared.
However, several messages that were alleged to be between Horner and his accuser were then leaked via anonymous email, adding further furore to the situation. The bombshell email – which was sent to leading F1 figures – contained 79 documents, including hundreds of messages, many of them of a sexual nature.
The Red Bull chief, husband of former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, has insisted he will stay in his role, but the saga has overshadowed the start of the F1 season. Jos Verstappen, father of Red Bull’s star driver Max, is among those who have called for Horner to resign, and it has also been reported that Horner has in fact been trying to push him out of the team.
Newey, meanwhile, has in the past expressed his desire to work with Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari before he calls time on his career.
The opportunity seems to have now presented itself, with Hamilton set to join Ferrari in 2025 from Mercedes and Prancing Horse chief Fred Vasseur now re-building the side.
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A number of high-profile figures, including Max Verstappen’s father, have called for Horner to resign
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Lewis Hamilton, set to join Ferrari in 2025, has said ‘anything is possible’ regarding Newey’s future
Hamilton, meanwhile, spoke on Newey prior to the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix last weekend.
‘I think my move has shown that anything’s possible and it’s going to be a really interesting next six months or so,’ he said. ‘In terms of Adrian, having worked within the team [Red Bull], I know obviously Adrian gets all the praise for everybody’s work.’
