Adrian Newey, Formula One’s most sought-after designer, wants to leave champions Red Bull, according to media reports on Thursday.
A Red Bull spokesperson said Newey was contracted until at least the end of 2025 “and we are unaware of him joining any other team.”
The BBC reported, however, that the 65-year-old believed he could negotiate an exit to work for another team from next season.
Newey, whose cars have won 25 drivers’ and constructors’ championships for Williams, McLaren and Red Bull, could not be immediately reached for comment.
The BBC and Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport both reported that the Briton had told Red Bull he wanted to move on after allegations about team principal Christian Horner.
Horner was cleared in February of alleged misconduct toward a female employee, who has lodged an appeal against the outcome.
Red Bull are currently dominant with triple world champion Max Verstappen, but Newey has been a regular target for top teams.
He has been reluctant to leave England, where most of the teams are based.
Ferrari, who will have seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton joining them next season from Mercedes, and British-based Aston Martin have been named as possible future employers and have made overtures.
Hamilton joined McLaren in 2007, two years after Newey had moved to Red Bull. The designer’s 2023 car was the most dominant in the sport’s history with 21 wins from 22 races.
Mercedes, now struggling after a period of domination, have openly courted Verstappen as a possible replacement for Hamilton in 2025.
Red Bull are finishing their partnership with Honda at the end of next season and will be making their own engine with backing from Ford when the sport starts a new power unit era in 2026.
Top technical employees such as Newey are usually restricted to a period of gardening leave (agreeing not to work for a competitor for a certain period of time) when they leave a team, meaning Newey’s availability might not be immediate, although he could equally decide to retire.
Red Bull have been going through turmoil since before the start of the season, with Horner in the spotlight and having issues with Verstappen’s father, Jos, and Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko.
Formula One veteran Marko and the Verstappens are close, with Max linking his future at the team to the Austrian remaining.
Newey is seen as just as much the key to Red Bull’s success as Verstappen, even if the Briton is not a one-man band and has a team of highly rated designers and aerodynamicists working with him.
Technical director Pierre Wache, in particular, has taken on a bigger role and is highly regarded, with Ferrari known to also be keen to recruit him.