Red Bull to rebuild from within following Newey and Wheatley exits

Red Bull Racing has reportedly opted for a strategy of internal promotion to fill the voids left by departing stalwarts Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley, rather than seek external replacements.

Wheatley, a cornerstone of the Red Bull F1 operation for 18 years, is set to exchange the energy drink brand for the Audi badge as he takes up the role of team principal for the German manufacturer's burgeoning F1 project.

The Briton’s exit, coupled with Newey’s departure in the first quarter of 2025, has forced the reigning world champions into a period of reflection and reorganization.

However, according to Autosport, Instead of a wholesale overhaul of its management structure, the team has indicated a preference for promoting from within its ranks.

This approach is seen as a means to inject fresh energy while also reducing costs, a crucial factor in the era of F1’s financial regulations.

While Christian Horner will remain at the helm of Red Bull Racing, the exact shape of the new-look management and operations team that will sit on the outfit's pitwall on race weekends is still taking form.

A strong candidate for increased responsibility is Gianpiero Lambiase, currently head of race engineering and Max Verstappen’s well-known race engineer.

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Despite the high-profile departures, Red Bull is keen to dispel any notion of crisis. Instead, the team is positioning these changes as a natural evolution, allowing for fresh perspectives and a renewed focus.

This approach is underpinned by the recent contract extension offered to designer and technical director Pierre Wache, signaling a commitment to continuity in certain areas.

Addressing recently Newey’s departure specifically, Wache underscored Red Bull’s proactive approach to transitions involving key staff.

“It’s a challenge in the company and it’s a shame that he’s leaving,” Wache told PlanetF1.

“But, at one point, we move forward alongside… as an engineering team, what you see from outside is one aspect but, on our side, we already know [when] people leave the team, we have already organised ourselves with our team.”

Wache’s overall tone is one of determination to maintain the team's high performance standards despite the change in personnel.

“We would prefer him with us, but that is not how it is. We don’t think in this way, we try to see what you can do for yourself and how you can improve.

“If we see some weaknesses, we try to improve and this is how we work – we concentrate on what we can do better.”

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