MILTON KEYNES, England (AP) — Adrian Newey, the designer who was a pivotal figure in Red Bull’s dominance of Formula One, will step down early next year, the team said Wednesday.

The 65-year-old Newey will end his near two-decade career with Red Bull in the “first quarter of 2025.”

“For almost two decades it has been my great honor to have played a key role in Red Bull Racing’s progress from upstart newcomer to multiple title-winning team,” he said. “However, I feel now is an opportune moment to hand that baton over to others and to seek new challenges for myself.”

Newey joined Red Bull in 2006 and helped the team win seven drivers’ titles — including the last three seasons for defending champion Max Verstappen — and six constructors’ titles.

Red Bull said its chief technical officer would be stepping back from F1 design and focus on its first hypercar, the RB17.

“All of our greatest moments from the past 20 years have come with Adrian’s hand on the technical tiller,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said. “For me, when Adrian joined Red Bull, he was already a superstar designer. Two decades and 13 championships later he leaves as a true legend. He is also my friend and someone I will be eternally grateful to for everything he brought to our partnership.”

News of Newey’s departure could spark a bidding war for his services. As Newey is free to join another team when he leaves Red Bull, it paves the way for him to have an impact on the 2026 car for whichever team he joins. The next major change in regulations is due in 2026 and having Newey on board would give his next employers a significant advantage.

Newey’s departure comes in the wake of Horner being accused of “inappropriate behavior” by a female employee. Horner was exonerated by Red Bull’s parent company GmbH and has always denied the claims.

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing