"You become blasé": McLaren aerodynamic maestro talks about his decision of leaving Adrian Newey's shadow at Red Bull

McLaren's aerodynamic chief designer, Rob Marshall, left Red Bull in 2023, moving away from Adrian Newey's shadow after 17 years. However, looking back, Marshall does not have any regrets, as he feels a change was necessary for him to grow in F1.

Red Bull Racing and Adrian Newey's partnership goes long back, as the latter served the team for 20 long years. However, Newey was surrounded by loyal and quality colleagues who kept him motivated and made his work flow more smooth.

One such designer was Rob Marshall. He supposedly worked as Newey's right-hand man for 17 years before making a sudden career change in 2023. He parted ways with Red Bull to join McLaren as chief designer starting in January 2024.

Recalling his time at Red Bull, Marshall opined that a change was necessary for him, and an opportunity from the Papaya team came at the right time. Talking to Planet F1, Marshall said (via formule1):

“McLaren asked me at the right time. I was at a point where I thought: ‘If I don’t move to another team now, I’ll probably be here forever.’ I really enjoyed my time at Red Bull, it was a great place to work. But then you get to the stage where you become blasé."

"And then the phone rings, and they say, ‘Do you want to leave?’ And you’re about to say, ‘No.’ But at that point you’re like, ‘I’ve been fooling myself; I think it’s probably time to go.'"

Meanwhile, after Rob Marshall left Red Bull, Adrian Newey also ended his historic association with the energy drink-based team. He announced his early departure in May 2024, and within a few months, the renowned design engineer joined hands with Aston Martin.

Lawrence Stroll reportedly offered him a lucrative offer, a deal that Newey couldn't say no to.

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Red Bull wary of McLaren, Ferrari pace ahead of 2025 season

McLaren ahead of Red Bull (Image Source: Getty)

The 2025 F1 pre-season test took place at Bahrain International Circuit from February 26 to 28. Red Bull, meanwhile, wasn't impressed with their performance and expressed caution about a tight title race.

Talking to The Race, Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache said (via Motorsportweek):

“I think it will be tight. At the moment it doesn’t look like we are quick enough, but after we will see. It looks like McLaren and Ferrari are quicker."

The Papaya team has a psychological advantage over Red Bull in the upcoming season as they beat the latter in the Constructors' Championship in 2024. After two years of dominance, the Bulls faced defeat.

On the other hand, the Papaya squad ended their 26-year-long trophy-less streak to clinch a trophy. Hence, the upcoming F1 season will likely be a battleground for these two teams.