Horner: Aston Martin’s Newey signing event was ‘premature’

Adrian Newey’s involvement in all Formula 1 matters at Red Bull appears to now be definitely over.

That is despite the fact that the 65-year-old British engineer will not actually start work at Aston Martin until March 1 next year.

Red Bull could have insisted on a lengthy ’gardening leave’ period for Newey, but based on the strength and success of their collaboration, the team let him go early.

"Maybe that will turn out to be a mistake if they build a rocket and Lance Stroll wins the world championship in 2026," team boss Christian Horner smiled.

"We’ll be sad to see it when he leaves next year," he added at Baku on Friday.

Newey is still involved with Red Bull’s RB17 hypercar project, but several months ago - when he made the decision to eventually leave the team - he was still coming to races, even if his involvement in car development was being scaled back.

What may have now soured any hope of seeing Newey in Red Bull gear at a grand prix going forward is the way Aston Martin announced their new collaboration last week.

While Lewis Hamilton, for example, did not go to Maranello for the Ferrari announcement early this year, Newey was the centrepiece of a grand global announcement at Aston Martin’s Silverstone HQ on Tuesday.

"It was obviously a large announcement by Aston," Horner said. "Adrian has always tended to do his own thing.

"Obviously it was a big moment for that team. They chose to celebrate it perhaps potentially slightly prematurely, before he’s finished his contract with Red Bull Racing."

Former Red Bull driver Robert Doornbos thinks Horner was keeping his full feelings on the matter to himself.

"Newey tells all those stories in front of an Aston Martin logo, and then gets in his car, drives to Milton Keynes, walks into Red Bull, and works on the RB17 some more?" he exclaimed to Ziggo Sport.

"How is that possible? That he thinks he can get away with that. I understand that the team (Red Bull) is taking him off the racing team now. He won’t be sent to any more races.

"He will now finish the RB17 from a distance. Not such a nice way to end after so much success," Doornbos concluded.