As the RB21 goes through some early teething problems, Marko explained how Red Bull “gradually built up” the personnel that would take over from him.
Already with title success at Williams and McLaren on his CV, Newey arrived at Red Bull in 2006 and went on to play a key role in all 14 of Red Bull’s title successes since.
However, it was ahead of the 2024 Miami Grand Prix that the shock news broke of Newey’s exit, his Red Bull Racing involvement ending there and then as he saw out his Red Bull tenure working on the RB17 hypercar.
Red Bull had dominated F1’s ground-effect era since 2022, but lost their way with the RB20 as 2024 went on, the team at one stage going 10 races without a victory.
Max Verstappen was still able to secure a fourth straight Drivers’ Championship, but Red Bull dropped to P3 in the Constructors’ and have work to do to make their RB21 a title-winning car, McLaren having started F1 2025 with two wins, putting them 21 points ahead of Mercedes at the top of the Constructors’ and 42 up on Red Bull.
And in an interview with Austria’s OE24, Marko was asked to address the idea that Newey leaving could have something to do with Red Bull’s drop-off.
Newey went on to join Aston Martin as managing technical partner, also receiving shares in the team.
“Of course we’re missing a man like that. A Newey is a Newey,” Marko replied.
“But we are a team of almost a thousand people. The crew behind him was gradually built up.”
After Verstappen finished P4 at the Chinese Grand Prix, Red Bull called an emergency meeting at their Milton Keynes HQ, and Marko has opened up on the main focus of that meeting as they look to put the RB21 into title contention.
