Helmut Marko believes the “main reason” Adrian Newey is leaving Red Bull for Aston Martin is the restructuring of the team following the death of Dietrich Mateschitz.

Red Bull announced in May that Newey would leave the team in the first quarter of 2025, calling time on his 19-year stay with the Milton Keynes squad.

Adrian Newey will official bid farewell to Red Bull on 28 February 2025

Racing Newey-designed cars, Red Bull have won seven Drivers’ titles and six Constructors’ crowns with the potential for at least one more before he bids farewell to the team.

The official date for that is 28 February 2025, but already Newey has stepped back from Red Bull’s Formula 1 operation and has been focusing solely on the RB17 hypercar.

Marko believes the passing of Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz in October 2022 was the catalyst for Newey’s departure.

“Of course, with the death of Dietrich Mateschitz, a certain change has taken place,” the motorsport advisor said in an interview with Austrian broadcaster ORF.

“He was basically the only leader. He made quick decisions. He was a charismatic entrepreneur who also had a lot of foresight and was willing to take risks with the racing team.

“And all of that, of course, now… The company and everything else has to be set up differently, because you can’t find another individual like that and he can’t be replaced by just one person. That can also be part of the change.

“I think that was the main reason for Newey’s decision to look for a new challenge.”

However, he concedes the early-season drama involving Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, who was investigated by Red Bull GmbH over allegations of inappropriate behaviour, didn’t help the situation especially when Verstappen’s father Jos publicly criticised Horner. The charges against Horner were dismissed, the Briton remaining in his role as team boss.

“Let’s put it this way,” Marko admitted. “the Horner thing didn’t help.

“But internally we sat down and said we have to join forces, work together in all areas to bring home this World Championship and also have a winning car for the future.”

Newey though is not the only key figure leaving Red Bull with stalwart Jonathan Wheatley leaving his role as Red Bull’s sporting director at the end of the season to become team principal of the Audi F1 Team.

Marko says staff changes are just part of the “usual game in Formula 1” because when “you win – and we have won in the last three years, dominating in 2023 – obviously the employees are coveted by other teams.”

But what baffles him in all of this is the money rival teams have offered, salaries Red Bull cannot match in the budget cap era.

“What leaves me a little perplexed are the figures that are offered. We are always struggling with the cost limit. And these employees often receive double or even higher offers. That means we couldn’t keep some of them,” he said.

“Newey was with us for 19 years, Wheatley for 17. They were part of the team, part of the group and part of the club. They were part of the team, part of our success.

“That hurts, but if they leave for financial reasons, for career reasons, because you can’t keep up with the offers, then that’s the way it goes.”