He recently celebrated his 18th anniversary with Red Bull, but now it’s all over! The high-flying team from Formula 1 has to cope with a bitter departure. Lee Stevenson, one of the cornerstones of all the team’s successes, announces his departure.
This news comes as a surprise and at short notice. Stevenson will be working for another racing team at the upcoming Formula 1 Grand Prix. How painful will the loss be for Red Bull and world champion Max Verstappen (read more about him here)?
Formula 1: Chief mechanic leaves
Stevenson was a very important part of Red Bull for almost two decades. As chief mechanic, he was primarily responsible for the work of the pit crew. He and his employees ensured that the cars were screwed together properly and repaired in no time in an emergency.
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Max Verstappen’s three world championship titles, as well as Sebastian Vettel’s four successes, also bear Stevenson’s signature. Now, out of nowhere, he announces his departure and a new role in Formula 1.
Switch to the competition
In a video on Instagram, Stevenson speaks out and explains that from now on there will be no more Red Bull-related posts from him. The reason: “Today is my last day.” It was an incredible journey for him, he reports.
Now start a new chapter. And this will start next week when Stevenson flies to Japan with his new team. The Brit doesn’t reveal which racing team he’s joining, but says that it’s “at the other end of the pit lane.”
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That suggests it’s not moving to a direct competitor to Red Bull, but rather one of the bottom performers. He garnished his farewell post with a green and a black heart – Sauber’s new team colors.
Formula 1: Is Audi pulling off a coup?
This also fits reports that Audi managed to poach Stevenson for its own project. The German car manufacturer will completely take over the Sauber racing team in the 2026 season, but is already pulling the strings for development. Poaching a high-ranking RB employee would be a personnel coup. However, official confirmation is still missing.