Red Bull's chief technical officer could be the latest victim of the team's civil war for removing verstappen...

Christian Horner is reportedly looking to push Adrian Newey – Red Bull’s legendary chief technical officer – out of Formula One.

There are growing tensions between the pair while there is also reportedly an ‘open war’ between Horner and Red Bull director Helmut Marko, Max Verstappen’s mentor.

The report claims that Horner wants to push Newey out of F1 and more into the brand’s RB17 hypercar project, a two-seater speed demon set to go into proudction in 2025.

Horner reportedly wants to do so amid F1 budget cap concerns. The current budget cap is £106million, including spending on the car and staff. However, it excludes the salaries of drivers and the three highest-paid members of staff.

As one of their highest earners, Newey is currently an exception to the cap, so axeing him would free up space for another exception.

Newey previously said he ‘regretted on an emotional level’ not working with Lewis Hamilton or Ferrari during his career.

Ferrari would reportedly be keen to snap him up if he left, meaning he would work with Lewis Hamilton from 2025, as per La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Newey is a legend of the sport and if Ferrari poached him, it would be a major coup.

The 64-year-old, who was given one of his first senior jobs in F1 by Ian Phillips at March in 1987, has designed cars which have won more than 100 races, 12 constructors’ titles with three different teams and 13 drivers’ titles with seven different racers.

Alongside the developing rift between him and Horner, there is also reportedly an ‘open war’ between Red Bull’s team principal and Marko.

That could be explosive as Mail Sport’s Jonathan McEvoy last week that Verstappen has an astonishing break clause in his contract that allows him to walk out of Red Bull if his ally Marko leaves the team.

The 80-year-old motorsport adviser insisted over the weekend that he won’t be suspended after accusations emerged that he had leaked evidence from Red Bull’s internal investigation surrounding Horner, but the ‘open war’ with Horner means all s far from secure.

Marko had earlier hinted he would quit, a departure which may well have led to world champion driver Max Verstappen going with him in a show of loyalty to his mentor.

But in a fresh twist, Marko told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf on Sunday that he had considered walking away even before the Horner controversy blew up, such was the divide in the team camp.

‘I hope it will all be over as soon as possible,’ the Austrian said.