Adrian Newey is set to hold discussions with Red Bull over the next 72 hours in a bid to resolve his future, it is understood.
Newey's time at Red Bull has been cast into doubt after it was suggested on Thursday that he has requested to leave the team at the end of year, with Ferrari - ahead of Lewis Hamilton's arrival in 2025 - mooted as his most likely destination.
The 65-year-old is regarded as one of the most influential car designers in Formula One history, and he has had a major hand in Max Verstappen's current stranglehold on the sport which places the Dutchman on course to win a fourth consecutive world championship.
Newey is understood to be unhappy in his current role at Red Bull - the team he joined from McLaren in 2006 - and reports of his end-of-season departure have sparked the need for immediate talks.
It is believed that Newey could step back from the day-to-day running of the F1 team's operation as early as this year, or perhaps at the start of next, and focus on his in-house hypercar, the RB17, which is due to begin production in 2025.
The suggestion of Newey's desire to end his near two-decade association at Red Bull, which is understood to have come as a surprise to those connected with the grid's all-conquering team, follows Christian Horner being accused of "inappropriate behaviour" by a female employee.
Team principal Horner, who was exonerated by Red Bull's parent company Red Bull GmbH on the eve of last month's curtain raiser in Bahrain, has always denied the claims. And those close to the 50-year-old believe Newey's future is being used as a power-play to further destabilise his position.
But Newey's next steps are also likely to have an impact on the future of the team's superstar driver, Verstappen, who has refused on multiple occasions to confirm he will remain with Red Bull beyond this year.
Verstappen, under contract with Red Bull until 2028, said at last weekend's Chinese Grand Prix that he only wanted a "quiet and peaceful environment" when pressed over whether he would remain with the team.
And Mercedes boss Toto Wolff refused to shut down a move for the 26-year-old, who has won four of the five races so far, as a replacement for Hamilton.
A Red Bull spokesperson said: "Adrian is contracted until at least the end of 2025, and we are unaware of him joining any other team."
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