According to Dr. Helmut Marko, the passing of Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz in late 2022 was a key factor in Adrian Newey's decision to leave the team.
Marko suspects that the loss of Mateschitz triggered a series of changes within Red Bull, leading to the departure of several key figures.
While acknowledging that other prominent departures, such as Jonathan Wheatley and Will Courtenay, were motivated by lucrative offers and higher-ranking positions, Marko said, "When you win, and we have won a lot in the last three years, it is normal that your employees are coveted by other teams. That is the normal game in Formula 1."
He expressed surprise at the scale of financial offers made to departing personnel. "What surprised me a bit are the amounts that are offered. We are always struggling with the budget cap, but these people are often being offered double. That means we couldn't keep some of them."
Reflecting on the significance of Newey's and Wheatley's time with the team, Marko noted, "Newey was with us for 17 years, Wheatley for 19. They were part of the team, part of the group and part of the club. They were a big part of our success," he admitted. "That hurts, but whether they leave for financial reasons or career reasons, it makes no difference if we cannot offer the same."
Another contributing factor to the exits was the leadership transition and Christian Horner's controversy that overshadowed much of the 2024 season - a prelude to a performance slump. Marko elaborated, "There was a certain change with the death of Dietrich Mateschitz. He was in fact the only leader. He made quick decisions. He was a charismatic entrepreneur who had a vision and was prepared to take risks."
He explained the impact of Mateschitz's absence, saying, "After his death, everything in the company had to be reorganised, because you cannot just replace a single figure with such a personality with just one person. I think that the changes in the team were also due to this, and especially in the case of Newey, I think that is why Adrian decided to look for a new challenge."
Regarding the influence of the situation with Horner, Marko added, "And let's put it this way - the situation with Horner certainly didn't help. But internally we sat down together and said that we have to join forces, work together in all areas to win this world championship and also have a winning car for the future."
