Christian Horner dismisses speculation over Adrian Newey's Red Bull future; reports claimed the chief technical officer's contract was up for renewal; Horner also expresses confidence over reigning world champion Max Verstappen's future in Formula 1
Wednesday 12 April 2023 21:18, UK
Red Bull boss Christian Horner says Adrian Newey will be with the team "for many years to come" amid speculation over his chief technical officer's future.
Newey is widely considered as one of Formula 1's top minds and has played a crucial role in designing the Red Bull cars that have enabled Max Verstappen to win successive world championships, with their current RB19 having made a dominant start to the 2023 campaign.
Reports emerged in March claiming that Newey's contract is up for renewal, but Horner dismissed any suggestion the 64-year-old could exit the team.
"His heart is still very much in Formula 1 and his commitment to the team is, it's not something…" Horner told Sky Sports News.
"We don't talk about contracts or longevity of contracts, but he'll be here for many years to come.
"There's always going to be rumours in this paddock, that's Formula 1."
Newey has enjoyed a remarkable career in F1 which is now spanning across a fifth decade, having helped design championship-winning cars at Williams and McLaren before joining Red Bull in 2005.
Along with his brilliance in F1, Newey has embraced the opportunity to work on other Red Bull projects, notably on the company's America's Cup sailing outfit.
"He's such an important part of our team and popular part of our team," Horner added.
"It's great to have him with us for the long term, but also to be involved in some of the things we're now getting involved in."
Horner also addressed Verstappen's future in F1, which has been a topic of speculation after recent comments about 'quitting' the sport.
The 25-year-old Dutchman has previously hinted that he is unlikely to race beyond the conclusion of his current Red Bull contract, which expires at the end of the 2028 season, while he recently suggested that changes to the sport's format could prompt him to walk away even earlier.
While Horner admitted he doesn't see Verstappen emulating two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, who has embarked on a 2023 campaign with Aston Martin at the age of 41, he doesn't expect to lose his star driver any time soon.
"Max is his own man and he's very, very strong in his opinions and on his outlook on what he wants to do in his life," Horner said. "And I don't see him being a Fernando Alonso and still racing at 41 or 42 years of age, or maybe not in Formula 1, but what his love and passion is, is racing.
"If he's not racing on track at the moment, he's racing in the virtual world, he's driving GT cars for fun, and his passion is just driving and racing, and while that burns within him, he's going to keep going.
"But how long that burns for, that's each individual's own journey, they've got to find that out for themselves."
Despite having made a strong start to his quest for a third successive drivers' title by winning two of the first three races of the season, Verstappen has gone on record to say that the current 24-race calendar is "far too many".
Horner added: "23 races is a brutal calendar and it's tough.
"It's tough for the drivers, it's tougher for the mechanics that are travelling at the beginning of the week and returning on a Monday after an event.
"It is a brutal calendar and it does take its toll at some point."
The Formula 1 season resumes with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from April 28-30, with the first Sprint weekend of 2023 shown in full live on Sky Sports F1. Watch Saturday's Sprint at 2:30pm and Sunday's race at 12pm. Get Sky Sports
