F1 News: 'Foolish to Say Horner Is Not a Reason for Newey Leaving Red Bull' - Insider

Marc Priestley links Adrian Newey’s departure from Red Bull to the controversies surrounding Christian Horner.

Christian Horner and Adrian Newey / Red Bull Content Pool

In a candid commentary on the current upheavals at Red Bull, former McLaren mechanic Marc Priestley shed light on the potential reasons behind Adrian Newey's departure from the team. Priestley pointed to the ongoing investigation involving team principal Christian Horner as a key factor influencing Newey’s decision.

Christian Horner has been embroiled in a complex investigation following allegations of inappropriate behavior, with proceedings attracting significant attention. This situation, according to Priestley, mirrors the off-track dramas he witnessed during his tenure at McLaren, which often overshadowed the team’s on-track activities. He commented during an interview with OLBG:

"I can only compare the Christian Horner situation at Red Bull to when I've been involved in a team when the bigger news is not happening on the race track. That's never where you want to be as a Formula 1 team.

"Red Bull have dominated for years and the story about Horner seems to be dominating the news even more than Red Bull are on track, and that's never good."

The ongoing legal battle facing Horner began with allegations made by a female employee of Red Bull Racing, leading to a thorough investigation that initially cleared him of all charges. However, the reopening of the case due to an appeal and the emergence of new evidence has prolonged the uncertainty.

Priestley emphasized how such distractions can detract from a team’s focus and morale, affecting everyone from engineers to the wider team personnel. He continued:

"When you're an engineer and a member of that team, you can focus in the garage and still help generate great results for the team. But when you go home at the end of a Grand Prix and go to the pub, it's all anyone wants to talk about. Everyone wants to ask you about Horner or 'Spygate' as it was for me. You see a newspaper headline is about stuff behind the scenes rather than results on the track.

"When you're working in a winning team, you want to brag about your results, but everyone else wants to talk about controversy or politics. It can be distracting, Red Bull are doing very well at keeping it out of the news and focusing on their results, and that's all you can do as a member of that team."

Looking toward Newey’s impending departure in 2025, Priestley speculated that beyond just seeking new challenges ahead of the 2026 regulation changes, Horner’s leadership could indeed be a contributing factor. He concluded:

"I'm fairly sure a reason why Adrian Newey is leaving is because of Horner, but he's also been there almost 20 years. With the regulation changes in 2026 coming up, he may want a challenge somewhere else. I have no doubt that because he could easily retire at his age, it was easier for him to walk away from Red Bull. It would be foolish to say that Horner is not a reason for Newey leaving Red Bull."

The coming weeks are crucial as the F1 community awaits the final decision on the Horner case, expected by mid-to-late-May.