Adrian Newey’s departure from Red Bull is anticipated to be imminent, with sources speculating an announcement could come advance of Formula 1’s Miami Grand Prix.
Late last week, German publication Auto Motor und Sport reported that Newey was set to quit the squad, having indicated to colleagues that he was no longer content with the working environment there.
Following discussions with the squad, it is understood that he has duly submitted his resignation and the emphasis will be on the terms of his departure.
An official statement from Red Bull Racing is expected to arrive shortly, potentially before the start of the Miami Grand Prix.
While the details of any separation are not known, it is anticipated that Newey will remain in his role for the time being before abandoning Red Bull at the beginning of 2025 at the latest.
It is understood that Newey has communicated the reasoning for his decision in an internal letter.
A decisive factor is said to have been his fractured relationship with team manager Christian Horner in the aftermath of the power struggle that took place earlier in the year following the allegations made against him by a female employee.
This came after previous tensions, including an interview published at the end of last year where Horner said Newey's role had changed and that "the technical team under him, led by Pierre Wache, is doing a wonderful job so they are not dependent on Adrian."
Horner also said that football club Manchester United did not go under when renowned striker Eric Cantona departed the team.
That interview did not go down well with Newey and was presumably perceived by him as Horner seeking to make himself significant and minimise the contribution of others to the team's success.
Newey's wife Amanda even shared the interview on Twitter and commented: "What a load of hogwash."
It is not known what Newey will do after Red Bull, although there seem to be five distinct options: Mercedes, Aston Martin, McLaren, Ferrari or stepping away from F1.
One argument against Mercedes is that Newey presumably believes it would take too long to set the requisite course to place the team back on the road to victory.
He is 65 and will not remain in his next position for 19 years, as was the case at Red Bull. What's more, he reportedly does not have a particularly high opinion of Toto Wolff.
Lawrence Stroll is brandishing his chequebook at Aston Martin and Dan Fallows, a long-time colleague of Newey's at Red Bull, is already there. However, Newey has earned enough money in his career. For him, it's about doing tasks that he relishes.
It is rumoured that Newey is rather reserved towards Stroll Sr. and is therefore not contemplating the Canadian's financially alluring offer. Also, he does not like the notion that Stroll could drive up the market value of Aston Martin with Newey as an asset and then perhaps transfer the team for a profit.
Newey has already worked for McLaren in the past, from 1997 to 2005, so this would no longer be a novel challenge for him.
He gets on exceedingly well with CEO Zak Brown on a personal level. But Newey doubts that the team can mobilize the resources required for success in Formula 1.
That leaves Ferrari. It's no secret that they want him there, but the crucial issue is whether or not he would want the upheaval in his life to relocate to Maranello and cope with the political milieu inside the team.
