Adrian Newey, considered by many to be the chief architect of Red Bull’s dominant success over the years, is leaving the Milton-Keynes-based outfit after almost two decades. With six Constructors’ and seven Drivers’ titles since his appointment, Newey became an invaluable asset, someone Red Bull would have loved to hold on to. However, there was a time when they were not willing to pay him what he wanted.
In 2005, when Newey was negotiating his way out of McLaren, he demanded a $10 million salary — an increase from what he was making in Woking. McLaren of course, did not agree to his ask, which is why Red Bull—a novice team back then—was weighing up the opportunity to sign him.
On this day in 2005, Red Bull Racing announced the signing of Adrian Newey
Christian Horner back then: “Given the choice of Adrian or Michael Schumacher, I’d go for Adrian every time. It’s of that kind of magnitude.”
[@F1icom] #F1 pic.twitter.com/kZhDBbbkxS
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) November 8, 2023
David Coulthard recalled how founder Dietrich Mateschitz was not happy with Newey’s request. The ex-Red Bull driver revealed how he convinced Mateschitz to go after the man who would eventually take the Austrian squad to soaring heights. He stated that besides top drivers, chief designers, and technical officers also deserved a high paycheck.
“I remember saying, you would pay that for a driver and more if he was considered number one driver in the world, I would pay it for what I consider to be the number one designer in the world.”, Coulthard said on the Red Flags podcast.
Mateschitz reflected on the same after Coulthard’s intervention and agreed to hand Newey a $10 million contract — a move that turned out to be a masterstroke. Between 2010 and 2013, the Milton-Keynes-based squad won four back-to-back World Championships and continued chasing success from 2021 onwards with Max Verstappen at the helm.
Red Bull won’t be able to forget Newey’s contributions
All of Red Bull’s Championship-winning cars have been a product of Newey’s genius. Both Sebastian Vettel (early 2010s) and Verstappen (current era) owe a lot to the Briton’s intricate understanding of the aero regulations during their respective periods of brilliance.
While both deserve credit for maximizing the potential of Newey’s cars, securing a race-winning car without him would have been a significant challenge, particularly since Red Bull was initially an inexperienced F1 team, even with manufacturer backing.
So, it makes sense how Newey’s worth increased so much. Multiple teams went after his signature as soon as his Red Bull exit was confirmed earlier this year, with the likes of Williams, Ferrari, McLaren, and Aston Martin emerging as likely candidates. In the end, it was Lawrence Stroll’s Aston Martin who convinced him.
An ambitious project, a $40 million-a-year salary, and shares in the team as ‘Managing Technical Partner’ were what it took to bring the 65-year-old to Silverstone. This move has set the stage for Aston Martin’s journey to the top, though whether he can replicate his success with Red Bull remains to be seen.
