High Court for Formula 1 engineer who accepted role for rival Aston Martin

A SENIOR Formula 1 engineer will face a High Court trial over his bid to leave the Red Bull team and join a rival.

Dan Fallows claims he was “constructively dismissed” by Red Bull Technology Ltd (RBTL), part of the Red Bull Racing group of companies, after informing it he wished to join Aston Martin. Mr

Fallows, who joined RBTL in 2006 and became the Red Bull team’s chief engineer of aerodynamics, has accepted a role as technical director at its competitor, a court was told.

But Mr Fallows’s bid to depart his role is being challenged by RBTL, which argues his contract commits him to its employment until June 30, 2023. Mrs Justice Stacey set an expedited trial date for January 25 next year, following a remote High Court hearing yesterday.

According to written arguments submitted by his lawyers, Mr Fallows claims he was moved away from Formula 1 to another project “without consultation” after telling his employer he wanted to leave.

His legal team said he “soon appreciated that he had no meaningful duties, his skills and knowledge were not being utilised and would quickly atrophy in an area where it is crucial for him to remain abreast of technological developments”.

They added that his duties were allegedly “hampered” by a decision to “restrict his IT access”. RBTL, which has brought the High Court claim, argues that Mr Fallows remains an employee.

The company’s lawyers said in written submissions that it had declined a request from Mr Fallows for an “early release”.

They said he lodged a “grievance” complaining “the role he was being asked to perform was beneath him”.