Adrian Newey will be part of the Aston Martin team from 2025. His departure from Red Bull Racing came rather unexpectedly. During the announcement of his move to Aston Martin, he shared some more details about his choice to leave the Austrian racing team.
Newey has shares in the Aston Martin team and a new role as Managing Technical Partner. He spent a long time as Chief Technical Officer at Red Bull Racing and was responsible for the design of several championship-winning cars.
The Briton revealed that he had previously endured a difficult period at Red Bull. "It's well known that in 2014, with the hybrid engine, we were in a position where we didn't have a very competitive PU with no light at the end of the tunnel. That's when I felt I needed something else to be involved in which of course became Valkyrie," the designer said.
With the arrival of Honda, things went a lot better for the Austrian team. "Once we got the Honda PU, then we were in a very different position and so then I got back involved on the Formula One side with RB14, 15, 16, 16B and then the 18 and so forth."
Newey was looking for a new challenge
Newey now feels that the team can continue even without him. "It's now a very mature team so once we got through the peak of the research and designing the 2022 car with the bigger regulation change, I felt able to step back a little bit. This was because the 2023, and this year's car, are very much evolutions of that first 2022 car," Newey added.
"But this is something different. It's that fresh challenge, that new stimulation. I always do what I feel is needed for the best of the team," said Newey.
This article has been created in collaboration with Matt Gretton
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Currently the reality contradicts this statement. He barely left and they already stumbled.
Was just listening to the full interview of Newey on the High Performance Podcast, and it was obvious that certain people at the team wanted to excert more of their wishes and vision on the design of the RB car and to listen less to Newey. He never mentioned names, but its probably Pierre Wache, as the Technical Director, he wanted to have more of his say rather than to be listening to a 'consultant', which, officially, Newey is. That is when he thought, well, if you think you can do a better job and not listen to me, then its time to leave and go to another team which is more than happy to listen to what I want to do!
In 2014, F1 went from a aero dominating series to a PU dominating series with almost nonexistent aero. On top of that, Renault not delivering despite of the promises made. It must have been a very difficult time for someone like Newey. Luckily Horner not only reacted the right way but also very rapidly. New challenge, state of the art facilities and cherry on top, lots of ???. On the other hand, pressure is on! Should for whatever reason, Newey fail to succeed, well then many questions will be asked, especially considering the current situation at RB. Looking forward to see how AM will do in future. Just imagine ALO becoming champion at his age and with a Newey designed machine. All the best for him.
My God if this is the maturity we are currently seeing at RedBull . If AN left them at a good place, why has the RB20 hit a wall ?.
He left them while they 'WERE' in a good place. Since he ceased any input into the team it's certainly regressed
Let me throw this out there. Adrian new that the RB20 was going to drop-off, possibly aware of the FIA banning certain driver aids, and so not to erode his credibility and market value he left RB. Or he built such a brilliant car that without his input it can not function. The proof will be in the progress AM will make.
Or as he handed in his notice he informed the FIA that RBR was running asymmetrical braking thus scuppering them and affecting their performance just about the same time as it was announced he no longer had any input into the car making him look a genius and increasing his stock value
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