Red Bull’s chief engineering offer Rob Marshall is stepping down from his role with immediate effect after 17 years with the team ahead of a move to McLaren.
Marshall has been a key part of the world champion’s operation since joining them in 2006, their second season in Formula 1. He spent 10 years as their chief designer before taking on the role of chief engineering officer in 2016.Marshall will take over the role of “technical director, engineering and design” at McLaren, according to the team. However Red Bull, in their statement confirming Marshall’s exit, claimed he “will join the McLaren F1 team next January, where he will become chief designer, a role he held at Red Bull Racing from 2006 until 2016”.
McLaren began a shake-up of its technical team at the beginning of the season after the departure of previous technical director James Key. At the time it announced Neil Houldey had been “promoted into the newly created role of technical director, engineering and design”.
Today McLaren said Marshall “will be supported by Neil Houldey in the newly created role of deputy technical director, engineering and design, to complete the senior technical structure”.
Marshall will join McLaren on January 1st, 2024, the same day another of its major hirings, Ferrari’s David Sanchez, will take over as technical director for car concept and performance.
The loss of a senior figure such as Marshall will be a blow to Red Bull. He has been with the team throughout all their major successes in F1, including their string of back-to-back championships from 2010 to 2013, and the resumption of the title-winning ways with Max Verstappen’s success since 2021.
McLaren team principal Andreas Stella said he is “incredibly pleased” to have hired Marshall.
“People and culture are our most important resource. We have recently invested and worked towards developing and empowering the internal talents available at McLaren, and we already perceive and measure the positive impact. In parallel, we have been strengthening our roster by bringing new talents on board.
“The list was already strong and encouraging, and the addition of a high-end and skilled individual like Rob will further consolidate our ability to establish the highest technical standards at McLaren and be in condition to design winning F1 cars.”
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner thanked Marshall for his contribution to the team’ success.
“His work on the generation of cars that gave us four incredible championship doubles between 2010 and 2013 was truly outstanding. In the years since he has continued to be a key figure at the team and in 2016 took on the broader role of chief engineering officer which has seen him involved in other projects across the business.
“His influence will be missed but once again we thank him for all he has done and wish him the very best in his new role.”
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Sonny Crockett (@sonnycrockett)
30th May 2023, 18:49
1st January is far too late to have any significant impact on McLaren’s 2024 car.
I guess their plans are more long-term.
Shimks (@shimks)
31st May 2023, 5:33
Officially January 1st!
RSLRacing
31st May 2023, 6:14
Right, probably difficult to monitor his input on the 2024 McLaren.
And McLaren may have hired him just to dilute Red Bull’s engineering staff. If McLaren had treated Newey right when he was at McLaren they could have enjoyed his talent for years.
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
31st May 2023, 22:51
Sounds like when Toyota announced they’d signed Schumacher – Ralf Schumacher…