Christian Horner has dismissed suggestions legendary car designer Adrian Newey will leave Red Bull for a rival team.
Newey is considered the best technical mind of the modern Formula One era, having designed championship winning cars for Williams, McLaren and Red Bull, who he joined in 2006 and where he is currently the chief technical officer.
Newey’s contract is reportedly up for renewal, leading to speculation he could leave Red Bull in the near future, but team boss Horner does not see that happening.
“His heart is still very much in Formula One and his commitment to the team is, it’s not something… We don’t talk about contracts or longevity of contracts, but he’ll be here for many years to come,” Horner told Sky Sports News.
“There’s always going to be rumours in this paddock, that’s Formula One.”
Newey has taken a step back from day-to-day duties at Red Bull, but has still had a key role in overseeing the development of Red Bull’s current dominant package.
Away from F1 he worked on the Valkyrie hypercar designed by Red Bull and Aston Martin.
Horner suggested there are other projects Newey is looking to get himself involved in.
“He’s such an important part of our team and popular part of our team,” Horner added.
“It’s great to have him with us for the long term, but also to be involved in some of the things we’re now getting involved in.”