Adrian Newey arguably is the best designer of cars in F1’s history. Even after almost having a 30-year-long career, he is still at the top of his game, as he recently aided Max Verstappen and Red Bull in winning the championship comprehensively.
Newey’s appointment could be their best decision among all the right moves done by the Milton-Keynes-based outfit. He has been a vital part of every title won by Red Bull.
The new regulations were the biggest challenge to the Brit car designer in the recent past. But he seamlessly nailed the challenge and kept his team abreast compared to their rivals for the 2023 season.
McLaren left him to save $4 million
Before joining Red Bull, Newey was the designer for Mclaren, even their he got them two straight championships. Even when Ferrari dominated at the start of the millennium, he produced some excellent cars, but engine reliability limited those McLaren cars.
That’s why McLaren was keen to continue with him, and in February 2005, when his contract was due for a renewal, he was offered an extension. However, Newey wasn’t satisfied with the remuneration.
After winning 10 out of 19 races in the 2005 season, according to Guardian, Newey demanded a $10 million salary, a $4 million hike from his previous $6 million.
However, then McLaren chairman Ron Dennis and CEO Martin Whitmarsh believed that such a bumper hike investment wasn’t worth it, and the negotiations between the two parties broke.
At that time, Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz was ready to meet the demands of Newey. At that time, newly joined Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said he would take Newey over Michael Schumacher. Thus, it shows how much his new team wanted him.
The reason for Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen’s success
In the following six years of joining Red Bull, Newey delivered them their first championship, with Vettel spearheading the charge. And it led to Red Bull dominating the entire grid for the next three years.
After 2013, Red Bull almost had to wait for over a decade to get their first title success with Verstappen, but the Milton-Keynes-based outfit remained patient with their key people.
That paid them well in 2021 and 2022, as Red Bull seems stronger than ever. This stint by Newey for a team has been the longest by him, and in that process, he was also lured by Ferrari, but the Briton preferred to stay loyal and is now Red Bull’s CTO.
Also read: Red Bulls’ Christian Horner on rejecting 16x Constructor’s champions offer for new Team Principal
