Secondo Peter windsor the possible dismissal of Christian Horner, related to scandal recently emerged with accusations of aggressive behavior against an employee, would trigger a series of chain reactions that would lead to the breakup of Red Bull. The first, and perhaps the most striking would be the farewell of one of the most important figures not only for the Austrian team but for the entire technical panorama of Formula 1, namely Adrian Newey. Newey's name had already been brought up when the bomb went off, but... Regarding the rumors of his possible transfer to Ferrari, Windsor says he is sceptical.
Nothing is certain yet. There response on the Horner case should arrive next week in conjunction with the presentation of the RB20. However, according to Windsor, there are only two scenarios. Newey could retire or stay at Red Bull to finish his career. In the case of withdrawal, the question that Windsor also asks is: what will happen to Red Bull and Max Verstappen?
Windsor: “Without Horner Newey would think about retiring”
Horner's allegations of inappropriate behavior toward an employee have rocked the team. With the uncertainty linked to the figure of the Red Bull team principal, rumors about a possible retirement of Adrian Newey have also intensified. In fact, some link his fate to the Horner case. Peter Windsor in his latest video spoke about the case based on the connection between the two and hypothesizing a possible retirement of Newey: “If Horner ultimately decides, or is forced, to leave, it would obviously be a great shame for Christian. I believe that the greatest effect, however, of this whole situation will be on Adrian's future."
Red Bull is in its winning cycle. He comes from 4 world championship victories, i.e. 2 constructors and 2 drivers with Max Verstappen. Its technical sector is the envy of all the top teams who try to steal precious resources when they can. The top of this pyramid of success is Adrian himself. What would be worrying would be his move to a competing team, such as Ferrari. Newey has also said in the past that he has been close to joining the Italian team several times. But this hypothesis, according to Windsor, is not feasible.
Future at Ferrari hypothesis to be discarded
Speculation about Newey moving to Ferrari is considered unlikely by Windsor, who cites Newey's past difficulties at Williams and highlights his chemistry with Horner. The reporter doubts whether the time for change is still right for Newey, stating: “I honestly don't think who would get the best out of Adrian. I am now convinced that the opportunity and time for his move to Ferrari has already passed".
Doubts about the future of Red Bull and Max Verstappen
Windsor in the video also expresses his doubts about the future of Red Bull and Max Verstappen – with a contract until 2028 – in Horner's absence and in consideration of Newey's possible retirement. It highlights the crucial role of key figures such as Horner and Newey in the stability of the team and hypothesizes the impact of these changes on Verstappen's performances and the cohesion of the team." With Horner leaving, I think Adrian is not as interested in Formula 1 as he was in the past. To be honest I really wonder what effect this will have on both Verstappen and the car's performance?" .
In such a scenario one could look around, and with the recent passage of Lewis Hamilton in Red in 2025 believing in a similar fate for Verstappen would not be such a difficult exercise.
