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Legendary designer Adrian Newey has hit back at Christian Horner's claims that he was ready to "jump a sinking ship" at Red Bull during the turbulent dawn of the turbo-hybrid era in 2014. The engineering mastermind stressed that his frustration and anguish were fueled by Renault's reluctance to fix their power unit shortcomings.
Horner's remarks date back to the first season under the V6 hybrid regulations, when Renault's package trailed far behind the dominant Mercedes power unit. The Milton Keynes-based outfit finished runners-up in the Constructors' Championship with 405 points—nearly 300 adrift of the Silver Arrows—managing just three Grand Prix victories compared to the German squad's 16.
Newey, who will join Aston Martin after concluding his illustrious stint with Red Bull in 2025, set the record straight on that period, dismissing the narrative that he was simply looking for a way out, despite strong interest from Ferrari at the time.
"I think back in 2014, when you're working as a chassis designer, if the engine supplier has a bad year, it happens and you just have to accept it. But if the power unit manufacturer has a poor season and has zero intention of trying to fix the problem, that creates a completely different and very bleak picture. "That was exactly the situation I was facing back then. As it later turned out, that attitude from the supplier never really changed until we switched to Honda in 2019. You can imagine my pain and frustration. Perhaps Christian didn't fully appreciate that, but I was having conversations," Newey explained during the team principals' press conference at the United States Grand Prix.
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