Adrian Newey exiting a team has often been a memorable event to witness. Before his stints at Red Bull and McLaren, the Briton worked at Williams from 1991 to 1996. While he designed some of the most dominant and innovative cars at the Grove outfit, it all came to a nasty end when he fell out with the team to move to Woking.
In his book, ‘How to Build a Car’, Newey shed light on how Williams breached his contract over the hiring of Heinz Herald-Frentzen for 1997. On this, the British engineer had a fallout with the team’s then-technical director, Patrick Head.
Newey cited that he was not happy with the idea of hiring Herald-Frentzen as Williams were looking to sack Damon Hill. The latter was on course to win the 1996 championship. So, it is understandable why Newey did not agree with this call. Thus, he informed Frank Williams that he would be looking to “consider his options”.
Newey explained how Head treated him like a “nightclub bouncer” when the latter was informed that the British aerodynamicist was keen to leave the team. Head told Newey, “I’m afraid it’s not that simple, Adrian, because you must remember you are under contract. And we will not allow you to break your contract”.
Newey then told Head that it was the Williams team who in fact broke the terms of the contract. Newey mentioned how Hill’s situation was quite similar to what happened to Nigel Mansell back in 1992-93.
️ | Adrian Newey on rejecting Ferrari’s offers multiple times:
“I was very tempted to go there [at Ferrari] in the past, it’s a legendary brand.
They contacted me in 1993, I think, and then in 1997, when I went from Williams to McLaren. And that was a very difficult choice.” pic.twitter.com/qPsjnUYahi
— RBR News (@redbulletin) June 3, 2023
Back then, Frank Williams decided to replace Mansell with Alain Prost for the 1993 season. This decision, in hindsight, has not aged well, given Mansell dominated to win the ’92 championship.
However, what Newey learned from that saga was to get more influence on such driver lineup decisions, besides other key policy decisions [engine choice, battles with the FIA] at the Grove team.
During his contract renewal in 1995, he negotiated for the same along with a pay increase. Cut to 1996, Newey was not in the mood to serve out the remaining tenure of his contract after the decision over Hill and Herald-Frentzen.
How Adrian Newey got out of the Williams fiasco?
Adrian Newey was in demand by several teams even during his time at Williams. McLaren and Ferrari were two notable outfits approaching the Briton consistently. Newey highlighted in his book that his interaction with then-McLaren boss, Ron Dennis, had been rare.
️ | Adrian Newey on rejecting Ferrari’s offers multiple times:
“I was very tempted to go there [at Ferrari] in the past, it’s a legendary brand.
They contacted me in 1993, I think, and then in 1997, when I went from Williams to McLaren. And that was a very difficult choice.” pic.twitter.com/qPsjnUYahi
— RBR News (@redbulletin) June 3, 2023
Still, when the time came in 1996-97 after his conversations with Patrick Head and Frank Williams, the Colchester native was keen to seek the exit door. When Williams Racing announced their decision to sign Heinz Herald-Frentzen for ’97, that was the last straw for Newey.
Newey then renewed contact with McLaren’s Martin Whitmarsh to negotiate and figure out a way to leave the Grove-based team. Williams and Head had assured Newey that they would have him in the conversation on all major decisions. Yet, they breached the contract for their ’97 lineup.
Eventually, Newey somehow managed to wiggle his way out of Williams. Before starting at McLaren, he had to serve a gardening leave in ’97. Still, the Briton was happy to start his work for the 1998 and ’99 seasons for the Woking team, which earned them both championships.
However, Williams descended back in the pecking order after Newey left. Since the turn of the millennium, the Grove-based team has been struggling and has gradually become a backmarker in the present day.
