Adrian Newey is one of, if not, the greatest car designers in F1 with many claiming that he has the unprecedented ability to visualize the airflow with the naked eye, which makes him so good at aerodynamics. And while that is almost definitely untrue, even Newey doesn’t know what exactly makes him so special.
Having made his debut in F1 in 1988, Newey went on to design Championship-winning cars for Williams, McLaren, and most recently Red Bull. His influence in the engineering of a car is such that even rival teams tend to keep one eye out for what Newey is doing.
The 66-year-old reflected on his early days to find out the origin of his genius. “So I think maybe I was lucky a little bit with my genetics if you like. In as much as both sides of my parents were good artists. But my father was also quite a good mathematician and tinkered around with cars,” he said on BBC’s F1: Chequered Flag podcast.
For as long as he can remember, being around those cars instilled an interest in how they were made, and how to make them faster and better. At the age where most struggled with elementary school mathematics and science, Newey was designing cars in his dad’s workshop.
“So from about the age of 8 or 10, I was sketching my own designs and then making models using my dad’s workshop with bits of aluminum and fiberglass and so forth,” he added. “I unwittingly practiced that from ages 10 to 12 — visualizing something, sketching it down, and then transforming it into a 3D object. In many ways, that’s still what I do.”
From that age, he was sure about what he wanted to do in life, and he has excelled at it. His passion remains undeterred, and he is still on the lookout for new challenges that will keep the fire burning for a lot longer.
Beginning of a new journey for Newey
Newey joined Red Bull in 2005 when most people knew them as simply an ‘energy drink’ company. But, in 2024, when he announced that he would leave, he had already helped turn them into one of the most dominant teams in history.
Six Constructors’ and eight Drivers’ titles later, Newey set off in search of a new home, for a fresh challenge and that’s when Aston Martin — a team with huge aspirations — came knocking. Newey became the Managing Technical Partner, and upon the end of his gardening leave in March, he will officially begin his work into turning the Silverstone-based outfit into a force to be reckoned with.
BREAKING: Adrian Newey to join Aston Martin from 2025!#F1 @AstonMartinF1 pic.twitter.com/S90qYCipfp
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 10, 2024
Newey was asked about his immediate plans on the podcast. His response was rather straightforward.
“The first goal is to get to know everyone here, understand how they work, and integrate myself with the team. It’s about talking to the drivers, collaborating with my fellow engineers, exchanging ideas, and fostering a creative flow”, he said.
The Briton would aim to strengthen the outfit enough to be competitive in 2026 when new regulations will take effect. However, the fact that he will join in March has already taken valuable time away from him. But if anyone can pull a rabbit out of the hat and turn Aston Martin into a competitive team, it’s Newey.
