© Getty ImagesThe Legend Adrian NeweyIt’s time to look back at the legacy Newey leaves behind...
After19yearsatthedrawingboardforOracleRedBullRacing,ChiefTechnicalOfficer,AdrianNewey,hasannouncedhewillbesteppingbackfromhisFormulaOnedesigndutiesandfocusonthefinaldevelopmentoftheRB17,beforeleavinginthefirstquarterof2025.
He was a legend in the sport before he even joined the Team, but as part of Oracle Red Bull Racing, he helped developed some of the most dominating cars in the sport’s history. His time at Red Bull Racing is hard to sum up, but at the time of counting (post Chinese Grand Prix 2024), his tally of wins includes 7 Drivers’ Championships, 6 Constructors’ Championships, 118 race wins, 101 poles and 271 podiums. That’s an insurmountable total and a lot of trophies to find space for.
With those figures, it’s impossible to talk about every accomplishment, but here are some of the key moments from his two decades at the Team – and there’s still more to come…
FirstCarOffTheDrawingBoard
When Adrian joined the Bulls for the 2006 season, he already had six Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships to his name. His first car for Oracle Red Bull Racing was the RB3, the first Renault-powered car for the Team.
The design of the car was solid, but mechanical and reliability issues hindered it. It was however seen as a step forward and the Team finished fifth in the championship with one podium.
RuleChangeMakesNeweyShine
Adrian’s team continued to make improvements each season, but things skyrocketed in 2009 and allowed the designer to show his magic. Comprehensive aerodynamic rule changes presented teams with a largely blank canvas and Adrian’s RB5 not only delivered six victories, including two one-two finishes, it propelled the Team to second in the Constructors’ Championship.
The RB5 would prove to be a development platform that would propel a generation of Red Bull cars that would dominate the sport.
In the following four seasons (2010-2013), Adrian’s cars took a clean sweep of both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships, with Sebastian Vettel claiming all four drivers’ titles. Over those four seasons the Team added 41 winners’ trophies and a total of 85 podium finishes.
After stepping back from day-to-day racing matters, Adrian decided to come back and focus on the RB16 to try and curtail the dominance of Mercedes, which, in 2021, he did. The Team were unbale to take the Constructors’ title, but the RB16B was able to secure Max Verstappen’s first Drivers’ title and the Team’s since 2013.
AllChangeAgainAndBackOnTop
After missing out on the Constructors’ Championship by just 28 points in 2021, the pendulum was to swing once again in Adrian’s (and the Team’s) favour. With the biggest change in regulations ever in the sport, whoever had the best car out the block was going to dominate the 2022 season.
Adrian’s RB18 did just that, well after a mishap in Bahrain. The Bulls of Max and Sergio Pérez completed the season with 17 wins and a total of 28 podiums and both championship titles. However, if you thought the RB18 was strong, that was nothing compared to the RB19 where thanks to Adrian’s design, the Team broke all records in Formula One history. Finishing first and second in the drivers’ standings for the first time in the Team’s history and winning the constructors’ title by a huge 451 points.
But even after all that dominance of the last two years, other teams thought they might be catching up, but Adrian shocked the world once again by producing the RB20, with different lines compared to the last two cars. And it’s early in the season, but it looks like he’s created another car that will go down in F1 history as one of the best.
You'll Be Missed© Getty Images
