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Red Bull Parks Monaghan: Not Leave, but 'Gardening Leave'
The 'leave' of Red Bull Racing’s Rob Monaghan turns out to be a tactical move: the prominent designer has been placed on so-called 'gardening leave' by the team.
By Hans van den Broekma - 2026-07-11T16:50:00.000Z - 1 min read
Reports surrounding Red Bull Racing’s top designer Rob Monaghan appear less straightforward than initially suggested. Where regular leave was previously mentioned, the situation has now taken a very familiar Formula 1 twist.
Monaghan, a key figure in the technical staff, is not sitting at home with a magazine and a cup of tea. The team has placed him on immediate 'gardening leave', a phrase that rarely spells good news in the paddock.
In practical terms, this means Monaghan remains on the payroll while not lifting a finger for Red Bull. The standard rationale for such a strategic pause is to prevent valuable, recent technical insights from reaching competitors too quickly.
'Gardening leave' in Formula 1 is seldom a stepping stone to a glorious comeback with the same team. More often, it serves as the waiting room for a final departure, carefully coordinated so as not to enlighten rivals overnight.