Red Bull Racing F1’s Chief Designer Craig Skinner has parted ways with the Milton Keynes outfit ahead of the 2026 F1 season. Red Bull have officially confirmed the news of the departure on the eve of the second Bahrain test.
Skinner was a core member of the Red Bull Racing F1 team for nearly two decades. Skinner held an impressive resume, having worked with Williams and Jordan, before joining Red Bull as a CFD engineer in 2006. Red Bull later promoted him to CFD Team Leader in 2009. Skinner became Chief Aerodynamicist in 2018 before stepping up to Chief Designer in 2022.
Red Bull Racing, in their official statement, said:
“After 20 years with the team, Craig Skinner, our Chief Designer, will be leaving the Red Bull Technology team.
“Craig has been an integral part of our team and its success, and we would like to thank him for his hard work and commitment. The whole Red Bull team wishes him all the best for the future.”
Skinner was indeed an integral member of Red Bull’s recent success, during which Max Verstappen bagged four consecutive titles from 2021 to 2024. Under his helm, the team bagged two consecutive constructor trophies during the Ground Effect era.
He was one of the main architects of the dominant RB19, working under the technical leadership of Pierre Wache and Adrian Newey. As of now, it is unclear where Skinner’s future lies
Craig Skinner becomes the latest top figure to leave the Red Bull F1 team
Ever since the 2024 season, the Red Bull Racing team has been losing their key players, with Skinner being the latest to join the list. Newey left the team earlier in 2024 marking the beginning of the exodus from the Milton Keynes team. In the following months, top figures like former sporting director, Jonathan Wheatley left for Audi. Will Courtney, who served as their Chief Strategist, left the team in September 2024 to join McLaren.
The most recent departure from Red Bull was that of former team principal, Christian Horner. Red Bull promoted Laurent Mekies to the top role midway through the 2025 season, marking the team’s resurgence and Verstappen’s titanic championship comeback. The team have also turned heads during the initial tests of 2026.
Red Bull have not yet confirmed Skinner’s replacement, but it is believed that it will be covered internally on an interim basis. The team will take part in the second Bahrain tests on Wednesday and will be hoping to carry the momentum forward.
The collaboration between Red Bull and Ford on in-house power units appears to be paying off, earning praises for its electrical deployment. With only 15 days left until the season opener in Melbourne, Red Bull will be hoping to get everything sorted and start the season on a positive note.
