After losing Adrian Newey, Red Bull on an aggressive hiring spree with 60 key personnel poached from rivals: Reports

Red Bull Racing is not holding back after losing key personnel, including Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley. According to reports from de Telegraaf, the Milton Keynes-based squad has signed as many as 60 employees from rival teams ahead of the 2025 season.

The 2024 F1 season saw a lot of transfers, including drivers and high-profile staff. The energy drink-based team was hit with huge blows after chief technical officer Adrian Newey announced his shocking departure. Sporting director Jonathan Wheatley followed in his footsteps to join Audi. Will Courtenay, the head of strategy, is also set to join McLaren from 2026, whereas Newey and Wheatley have already bid farewell to the team.

Earlier, team principal Christian Horner confirmed that his team will prioritize internal promotion to fill the gaps, with Max Verstappen's race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, being promoted as head of racing. And according to de Telegraaf, Red Bull has reportedly signed 60 personnel from rival teams ahead of the 2025 F1 season. This new staff will likely strengthen the team's core, especially with the crucial 2026 season in sight.

In 2026, the Milton Keynes base squad will field their homegrown powertrain manufactured in partnership with Ford. With limited experience in manufacturing, the team seems to have taken up a big challenge. However, Horner claimed that the ambitious project is on track.

Apart from losing high-profile staff, the Bulls also parted ways with Mexican driver Sergio Perez. They withdrew the two-year extension contract signed mid-season and announced mutual separation. The team then prioritized junior talent from their academy and promoted Liam Lawson as Max Verstappen's teammate for the 2025 season. The New Zealander previously featured in 11 races for the sister team, Racing Bulls. His mindset and raw talent encouraged the Bulls to rope him in for the main team.

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Adrian Newey explains why he left Red Bull

Ex-Red Bull chief technical officer Adrian Newey (Image Source: Getty)

Renowned motorsport design engineer Adrian Newey announced his departure from Red Bull in 2024, leaving the grid stunned. After 20 years of service, the chief technical officer sought an early exit from the contract to embark on a new journey with Aston Martin instead.

Meanwhile, while explaining the reasons behind his shocking exit, Newey told Auto Motor und Sport (via Motorsport.com):

"I think if you'd said to me 12 months ago, Would I be leaving Red Bull and then now ultimately starting again? I'd have said, 'No, you're crazy.' But for various reasons, I felt I wouldn't be true to myself if I stayed at Red Bull. So the first difficult decision was exactly that: do I stay or not? So I obviously came to the conclusion that, in being honest with myself, I couldn't."

Though Newey was speculated to take a break from motorsport, he joined hands with Lawrence Stroll to sign a lucrative deal with Aston Martin.