Newey took risk with Red Bull: 'Joke of the paddock in 2005'
F1 News
Top designer Adrian Newey joined Red Bull Racing in 2006 when the team that was founded in 2005 was still very young. Newey was looking for a new challenge and got it at Red Bull, which at the time was still seen as the joke of the pit lane.
Newey sought new challenge
It is a distant memory, as Red Bull is no longer a joke. The team now has five constructors' titles under its belt and six drivers' titles held by Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen. Red Bull being on the grid from 2005 was a great opportunity for Newey, with the former McLaren engineer telling the Talking Bull podcast that it was time for a new challenge and he found it at Red Bull.
Newey said that "The idea of being involved with a team, more or less from the start, was attractive. And Christian [Horner] always walked across the paddock in exactly the opposite direction to me." The Red Bull team boss probably saw in Newey a good addition to his team, and the wishes of the two matched.
Red Bull was the party team
The Briton called his move to Red Bull a risk, because he had his ideas about inspired rich businessmen who came into F1 out of the blue: "The important thing for me was what was Red Bull. Were they going to be one of those fistbangers and dissappear, or were they in it for the long-haul. As far as I could see, Red Bull was a proper growing company, Dietrich [Mateschitz] was clearly passionate about it."
Newey concludes, "In fairness, in 2005 the team was still the joke of the pit lane. They were known as the party team [...] and nobody took it seriously. Underneath that, I clearly saw something, so I took the risk."