Red Bull Racing shock: Chief designer Craig Skinner departs ahead of 2026 season

With just under a month to go before the Formula 1 season begins at the Australian Grand Prix, Red Bull Racing have been dealt a significant off-track blow. The Milton Keynes-based team confirmed that their long-serving chief designer, Craig Skinner, has left the team after two decades of service.

Skinner’s departure comes at a crucial moment as Red Bull finalise preparations for the 2026 campaign, a season that ushers in sweeping technical regulation changes and a new era for the sport. While the team have not publicly detailed the reasons behind his exit, it marks the end of an era for one of the quiet architects behind Red Bull’s most dominant machinery.

Skinner joined Red Bull in 2006, during the team’s formative years after its transition from Jaguar. Starting out in computational fluid dynamics, he steadily rose through the ranks as the team transformed into a championship-winning powerhouse.

His technical expertise and attention to detail earned him increasing responsibility within the aerodynamic and design departments. In 2022, Skinner was promoted to chief designer, working closely with legendary technical mastermind Adrian Newey.

Together, they oversaw the creation and refinement of some of the most successful cars in modern Formula 1 history.

Among them was the RB19, widely regarded as one of the most dominant cars the sport has ever seen, breaking records for wins in a single season and setting new benchmarks for efficiency and race pace.

During Skinner’s tenure, Red Bull secured multiple constructors' and drivers' championships, powering stars like Max Verstappen to sustained success at the front of the grid. His work was instrumental in translating aerodynamic concepts into championship-winning performance, particularly in the ground-effect era introduced in 2022.

Colleagues have long described Skinner as a meticulous and methodical engineer, someone who preferred the drawing board to the spotlight. Unlike some of the sport’s more high-profile figures, he rarely courted media attention, instead focusing on refining the minute details that separate race winners from the chasing pack.

His exit adds another layer of intrigue to Red Bull’s build-up to Melbourne. The team are entering a pivotal period, not only adapting to new regulations but also continuing development of its in-house power unit project in partnership with Ford.

Stability behind the scenes has often been a cornerstone of Red Bull’s success, making any senior technical departure noteworthy. As the countdown to lights out in Australia continues, attention will now turn to how Red Bull restructure their technical leadership.

Replacing 20 years of experience will not be simple. But if history is anything to go by, the team have built their reputation on evolving, adapting, and finding speed in the face of change.

Jehran Naidoo is a Sports reporter with a focus on motorsport for Independent Media and social media editor for our YouTube channel The Clutch.