Christian Horner insists he is not the reason for Adrian Newey’s departure from the Red Bull F1 team.

Newey, regar⭕ded as F1’s greatest-ever designer, will leave his position as Red Bull chief technical officer in early 2025 after nearly ౠtwo decades at the team.

The 65-year-old, with the help of close friend⛄ and manager Eddi💝e Jordan, was able to successfully negotiate an early release from his Red Bull contract.

Newey is believed to have become disillusioned amid turmoil within the Red Bull camp after allegations of sexual harassment and coercive, controlling behaviour were made against team principal H♑orner by a female colleague.

Horner has a𒐪lways denied the claims and was cleared of wrongdoing by an internal investigation carried out by Red Bull.

However, Horner has stressed that the controversy around him had nothing to do with Neweyဣ’s decision to leave.

𒀰"I've spoken to Adrian at length about it and A꧙drian's position is very clear,” Horner said.

“We 𒁏have enjoyed a great relationship, and we continue to enjoy a great relationship. We are friends as well as work colleagues and he's done a huge amount for this team.

"We will be sad to see him leave but he's le🎐ft the team in good shape and we've got a great team of people𓆏 and strength and depth to take us forward."

Horner added: "I think if you speak with Adrian and look at the statements that he's put out, Adrian's decided that the timin෴g for him is now, after pretty much 35 years with the team, and the strength and the engineering depth that we have, to step🦋 away.

"We knew tᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚhat the time was coming and we've built a structure in place to be able to꧙ pick up the baton and carry on with it. That's something that's been put in place over the last five or six years.”

Newey appeared to allude to the scandal surrounding Horner in an interview with Sky Sports F1 at the Miami Grand Prix, saying: “I guess (I was thinking about it) over the winter a little bit, and then as events haveꦓ unfolded this year I thought… I’m in a very lucky position where I don’t need to ༒work to live. I work because I enjoy it.

“I just felt tha♏t now was a good time to step back and take a bit of a break and take stock of life, and go trave🐟lling a bit.”

But Horner insists the pair remain on good terms.

"I think we've enjoyed some great moments on and off track, it's been a wonderful journey with Adrian," Horner said. “He’s a friend, he's the godfather to my children and we reﷺmain friend🎀s."

Newey has been heavily linked with a switch to Ferrari, where he would link up with seven-time world champion168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史: Lewis Hamilton.