Red Bull’s performance during this current technical cycle is a far cry from the successes the team enjoyed in its previous era, reflecting an unexpected decline over the past two years. The dominance the team enjoyed in 2023 has unraveled under the weight of internal politics. At the start of 2024, the so-called “Horner-gate” shook the team, revealing two factions within the organization—those who supported Christian Horner and those who criticized him.
Amid this tense environment, several key figures departed, including Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley, the team’s CTO and Sporting Director respectively. Both were on the cusp of significant career moves: Newey was poised to become Technical Partner and Team Principal at Aston Martin, while Wheatley was lined up for the role of Team Principal at Audi.
These two veterans had collaborated for years before ultimately going separate ways, but now there is a chance they could find themselves back in the same room. According to reports from the BBC, Christian Horner is reportedly interested in investing in Aston Martin, and Lance Stroll would also like him on board. However, Adrian Newey does not share the same view and is said to have placed a “veto” on the arrival of his former boss. It is no secret that relations between the two remain strained following Horner-gate, with Newey having implied that his departure from Red Bull was directly linked to this internal conflict.
Conversely, there appear to be no objections regarding Jonathan Wheatley, who likely shares Newey’s thinking from their Red Bull days.
The internal friction that fractured Red Bull Racing appears to have followed its key players to their new homes. Based on the content of these latest reports, Adrian Newey is determined to ensure his new chapter at Aston Martin remains free of the political baggage he left behind in Milton Keynes.
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