Revered Formula 1 car designer Adrian Newey will leave Red Bull Racing, ending a two-decade stint that has netted the energy drink company more than a dozen world championships.
Newey and Red Bull announced their partnership will end in early 2025, in a statement released on Wednesday night, AEST.
Newey has been with Red Bull since 2006 and is their current chief technical officer.
He has been responsible for building the Red Bull cars that have won six constructors' championships and seven drivers' championships.
"For almost two decades it has been my great honour to have played a key role in Red Bull Racing's progress from upstart newcomer to multiple title-winning team,' Newey said in a statement.
"However, I feel now is an opportune moment to hand that baton over to others and to seek new challenges for myself.
"It has been a real privilege, and I am confident that the engineering team are well prepared for the work going into the final evolution of the car under the four-year period of this regulation set."
Reports of Newey's possible departure have circled for months following a scandal involving team principal Christian Horner.
Horner was accused of workplace misconduct by an employee that came to light in the weeks leading up to this season.
The Red Bull boss was cleared by an investigation but it appeared to cause a rift within the team.
There have been several reports that superstar driver Max Verstappen, and his father Jos, are unhappy with Horner's leadership.
Meanwhile, Newey is understood to have close ties with Horner, with some outlets suggesting they both have clauses in their contracts allowing them to leave if the other departs.
Two decades and 13 championships later, he leaves as a true legend.
Newey's departure now throws Verstappen's future with Red Bull into question.
The Dutchman is contracted to Red Bull until 2028, but rumours about Verstappen wanting to leave the team have persisted throughout the season.
Losing the most successful engineer in modern F1 could result in Verstappen exploring options to move to a new team.
