Dutch racing driver Robin Frijns is sceptical that the recent downturn in Red Bull's performance is solely due to Adrian Newey's gradual exit from the team.
Autosprint magazine from Italy has indicated that Newey, renowned for his design and aerodynamics expertise, is now almost certain to be joining Aston Martin in Formula 1, with an official announcement expected in September - and new links with Max Verstappen.
"We're not going to sign Adrian," stated McLaren CEO Zak Brown to the BBC, noting that Ferrari, Williams, and Mercedes also appear to have missed out on acquiring the 65-year-old British engineer.
Interestingly, the timing of Newey's reduced involvement at Red Bull corresponds with the team's diminished dominance.
However, Frijns questions the simplicity of that correlation.
"People are curious if the drop in performance is because Adrian Newey is leaving," Frijns mentioned in an interview with the Dutch magazine Formule 1. "I personally don't believe that's the case.
"Newey is exceptionally skilled in aerodynamics at Red Bull, yet he has mentored many within the team. He certainly isn't the sole creator of the car," he added.
Frijns proposes an alternative reason for Red Bull's recent issues.
"According to what I've heard from Spanish media, it seems the FIA discovered something, or other teams raised complaints about a particular aspect of the Red Bull car which then had to be modified," he revealed.
"It wouldn't surprise me if that were the case."
