Max Verstappen “would have preferred” Red Bull’s famed design expert Adrian Newey to stay with the team, but played down the impact his departure will have on the reigning champion’s future at Red Bull.
Newey, Red Bull said, will leave in April 2025 after nearly two decades with the team.
Verstappen said Newey’s departure should not cause unnecessary drama and would not impact his status at Red Bull “at this time”.
He also warned against any conclusions on this point.
“I think people in the press are making up a lot of things at the moment because they don’t understand what the roles were within the team,” Verstappen said. “I can’t deny that I would have preferred him to stay, just because of his personality, his knowledge and of course what he would bring to a possible other team if he wanted to join.
“If someone really wants to leave, he has to leave. That’s also what I wrote to him… If you think this is the right decision for yourself and your family, you should do it.
“But I also really trust that the technical team we have outside Adrian is very, very strong. They have basically shown that in recent years with how competitive the car is. From the outside it looks very dramatic. But I I think if you know what’s happening within the team, it’s not as dramatic as it seems.”
ESPN reported that Red Bull and technical director Pierre Wache agreed on a five-year contract at the beginning of this year.
