Craig Skinner has stepped down from his role as chief designer of Red Bull Racing ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season, Afrosport reports.
Skinner was appointed chief designer in 2022 but will now depart after working with the Milton Keynes-based team for two decades.
His departure is seen as a blow for Red Bull who are gearing up for the second pre-season test in Bahrain with the hopes of taking the drivers’ and constructors’ championship back from Lando Norris and McLaren respectively in 2026.
“After 20 years with the team, Craig Skinner, our Chief Designer, will be leaving the Red Bull Technology team,”read a Red Bull statement per Crash.net.
“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.”
The constant evolution of #F1 through the years 🧬 pic.twitter.com/fqyG3AYgS1
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) February 16, 2026
Skinner joined Red Bull in 2006 as a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) engineer before rising to become group leader in 2009.
He worked as deputy head of aerodynamics and was later chief aerodynamicist in 2018, before becoming chief designer in 2022, playing a key role in the design of the RB19, which became the most successful car in F1 history with 21 wins out of 22 races during the 2023 season.
