Photo Credit: Red Bull Content Pool
Red Bull Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey has without a doubt worked with some great drivers and World Champions.
Newey has worked with several high-profile names in the past including three times World Champion Alain Prost and double World Champion Mika Häkkinen. In more recent times, it was the German driver Sebastian Vettel that Newey had the pleasure to assist in scoring four drivers and constructors titles on the bounce from 2010 to 2013 with Red Bull.
Newey spoke recently about the current World Champion Max Verstappen and how he feels Verstappen has traits that he has only seen in other “truly great drivers.”
Verstappen, now a three time Champion, is making history over the last 3 seasons including this year, where he won 19 out of the 22 races to seal the championship in dominant style for Red Bull.
Newey says that Versteppen’s driving style and car control is similar to those of other great World Champions he has worked with.
Photo Credit: Red Bull Content Pool
“I think Max, like all the truly great drivers, you have the impression that he can drive the car almost subconsciously,” said the British engineer.
“And that then leaves him with plenty of processing power to think about what the car is doing, how he can modify his driving to suit the car, how he can change the set-up via the electronic tools on the steering wheel to assist him in what he’s trying to achieve at that particular point in the race and the particular deg the tyres are suffering and whatever.”
“Basically, to read a race the whole way through,” continued 65 year old Newey.
“And I think that is something that he’s kind of had when he first came into Formula 1, but perhaps he’s really been able to develop to a very high level now. So, that kind of ability to drive the car extremely quickly, but still have constant reserve is something which Max very clearly has and I would say all the true greats that I’ve worked with have also been the same,” concluded Newey.
