Helmut Marko Refutes Claims Linking Adrian Newey’s Departure to Red Bull’s Performance Woes

Helmut Marko counters claims tying Adrian Newey's departure to Red Bull's RB20 downturn

Does Red Bull's lackluster results stem from Adrian Newey's departure?

Helmut Marko has refuted suggestions that Adrian Newey’s forthcoming departure is behind the RB20’s decline in performance.

Earlier this year, the F1 community was taken aback when Red Bull's top technical executive announced his departure from the team, a group he's been with since 2005.

Since the Miami event, Newey hasn't been actively involved in race-by-race operations and is reportedly set to join a Formula 1 competitor, believed to be Aston Martin, next year.

Meanwhile, Max Verstappen is currently experiencing an extraordinary streak of six races without a win, as Christian Horner acknowledges that Red Bull is unsure of the reason behind their car's slow performance.

Marko expressed in his column for Speedweek that there is a prevalent belief among supporters that our team's decline is linked to Adrian Newey's exit.

"However, this assertion is incorrect. By the time spring came around, Newey was no longer participating in every aspect of the vehicle's development process."

It's undeniable that Newey's unparalleled experience sets him apart, underscoring his unique identity.

"However, our issue is found in another area. The cases of Mercedes and, to some degree, Ferrari illustrate the struggles teams face in managing these aerodynamic vehicles."

"However, my outlook remains positive: Our team possesses a wide range of technical skills, and I firmly believe that we are capable of overcoming this challenge."

"Thus, the key issue at hand is determining the optimal vehicle equilibrium as experienced in the season's initial phase."

Max Verstappen expressed in Monza that an additional 20 points of downforce were unnecessary if it compromised the car's drivability.

"Therefore, it's necessary to take it apart and ideally identify the moment when the vehicle was properly balanced."

"By achieving this, the vehicle's actions will once again be consistent, instilling renewed trust in drivers and allowing them to perform optimally once more."

"Undoubtedly, this presents a challenging endeavor, given the significant number of new components we've incorporated into the vehicle since that time."

"In simple terms, we must determine at what point we made a misstep in our approach."

The comments from Red Bull are astonishing given their strong performance at the beginning of this year, continuing the trend they've set since early 2022.

Indeed, Marko's remarks closely mirror the bewilderment Toto Wolff expressed during Mercedes' challenging period.

In a potentially concerning development for Red Bull's future prospects, they are on the brink of separating from their brilliant vehicle designer, Newey.

However, the team firmly maintains that the timing is purely accidental, and Newey's recent step back from their F1 endeavor is not the reason for their lackluster performance.

"Horner expressed at Monza that he believes these problems would have arisen regardless, as they were already present and the influence of one individual could not have caused such immediate and dramatic effects."

Discover More

Recent Updates

Recent Updates

Site Navigation

Crash.Net

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

Reproducing the content, whether it's text, photos, or illustrations, completely or partially, is strictly prohibited in any manner.