In an exclusive interview with Auto Motor und Sport, legendary racing designer Adrian Newey discussed his decision to leave Red Bull F1 after nearly two decades with the Milton Keynes-based squad.
During his time with the team, the Brit was a key figure in helping them win seven Drivers’ Championships and six Constructors’ Championships.
After taking over Jaguar ahead of the 2005 F1 season, Red Bull poached Newey from McLaren. Their first win came at the 2009 Chinese Grand Prix thanks to Sebastian Vettel.
In 2010, Sebastian Vettel won the team’s first Drivers’ Championship in Abu Dhabi following a dramatic end to the season. Red Bull F1 also claimed their first Constructors’ Championship in Brazil.
Newey speaks on his Red Bull F1 departure
Fast forward to the end of November in 2023. Red Bull had won 21 of the 22 races that season, crushing the opposition in both championships. Only a terrible weekend in Singapore prevented a clean sweep.
However, things soon started to turn. Christian Horner faced allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards an employee within the team. From there, an internal dispute of massive proportions began as Horner, Helmut Marko and Jos Verstappen all got involved. The Austrian looked set to leave after Saudi Arabia.
Eventually things settled down as Max Verstappen showed maturity in an incredibly explosive situation.
Adrian Newey explained to AMuS that he would have called a person crazy if they predicted he would leave Red Bull F1 in January 2024.
However, the storm that engulfed Red Bull not long after changed that.
“So I think if you’d said to me 12 months ago, would I be leaving Red Bull and then now ultimately starting again? I’d have said, ‘no, you’re crazy’.
“But for various reasons, I felt I wouldn’t be true to myself if I stayed at Red Bull.
“So the first difficult decision was exactly that. Do I stay or not at Red Bull? So I obviously came to the conclusion that in being honest to myself, I couldn’t.”
The talks to decide whether to carry on or not
After it was confirmed he would be leaving Red Bull F1 following the Miami Grand Prix, Adrian Newey revealed the discussions he had with his wife Mandy before deciding on what to do next.
The Brit has played a part in 27 title across the Drivers’ and Constructors’. He had staggering success at Williams, McLaren and Red Bull across the 1990s and 2010s.
A decision had to be made: Move to another F1 team, work on road cars, or enjoy retirement.
“And then having made that decision, it was then what to do next. And with my wife, Mandy, we discussed various things.
“One is obviously, I’m in the lucky position that I don’t need to work financially. So it could have been simply retire and sit on the beach.
“Or it could be to do something completely different, America’s Cup, or maybe work for one of the OEMs in road cars, or stay in racing. And if I was going to stay in racing, then I might as well stay in Formula One, assuming people wanted me.”
Aston Martin come calling
Following the decision to weigh up everything, Adrian Newey got an offer from Aston Martin. He took it. Lawrence Stroll is attempting to build a F1 giant, and the Brit is going to be key.
His passion for designing cars and love for Motorsport meant he wanted to continue.
“Ultimately, the reality is I’ve aspired to be a designer in motor racing from the age of 10 or so. I’ve been lucky enough to achieve that.
“Of course there’s been the odd day where I haven’t enjoyed [it], but by and large, I’ve enjoyed pretty much every day of my working life. I feel incredibly lucky to have had that position where I’ve enjoyed my working day, which after all, if you’re waking hours of, let’s say, 16 hours, then you should probably spend at least 8 to 10, if not more, at work. A big percentage of your waking life. So to enjoy that is very lucky.
“So long way of saying, I really came to the conclusion that actually I did want to carry on working, that I’d get bored doing nothing. And so if I was going to work, then why not continue doing what I’ve always wanted to do and have enjoyed doing?”
