What next for Adrian Newey? Red Bull exit will spark bidding war for F1 2026 battleground.
Adrian Newey will become a free agent ahead of the new regulation cycle, so what are the famed designer’s main options?
02 May 2024 6:00 AM
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com

As Red Bull’s chief technology officer, Newey oversaw all the technical work carried out by the technology group based at the campus in Milton Keynes but, effective immediately, will no longer play a role on the F1 side of things. If Newey does immediately begin work with another team then, he will have several months to wield his influence over the 2026 car said team will have in development. All the teams are allowed to begin aerodynamic and CFD testing and simulation work from January 1st, 2025, meaning Newey would be joining at least a few months into that cycle – arguably too late to play a major part in 2026 development.

With Fred Vasseur having secured Lewis Hamilton to the team from 2025, and now landing a big money title sponsor in HP, Ferrari would appear to be the leading candidate to secure Newey ahead of 2026. All the ingredients are there. A no-nonsense team boss who is making things happen without being cowed by the politics that inevitably surround Ferrari, two massively exciting drivers in Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, amazing (and recently updated) facilities at Maranello, and a barren spell that stretches back to 2008 since a title victory.

Should Newey not want to leave the UK for Italy, there are quite a few British teams that would throw money at him to join. McLaren and Williams are contenders, and Newey is known to get along famously with McLaren CEO Zak Brown. Which leads us to Aston Martin. Lawrence Stroll’s investment has been significant, and the Silverstone factory is now one of the leading examples of an F1 production facility. Having Fernando Alonso secured for a new deal – both for racing and a post-racing career role – would be a major plus for Newey, who in the past has admitted he’d have liked to have worked with the Spaniard.

‘What next for Adrian Newey?’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/what-n...tions-explored


Tremayne: ‘He’s the man who can see and bend air’ – Why Adrian Newey will be such a big loss to Red Bull
19:51 Wed, 01 May 2024.
David Tremayne
Hall of Fame F1 Journalist
Formula One - Official Site

The 1988 Japanese GP came towards the end of my first full season of F1. And while it was ultimately a showcase – yet again – for the superiority of the turbocharged McLaren MP4/4 Hondas, which were the Red Bulls of their day long before anyone had ever heard that name – they were chased initially by an outstandingly attractive Miami Blue car driven by Ivan Capelli and powered by a proprietary, normally aspirated Judd V8 engine.

As champion-to-be Ayrton Senna recovered from a poor start and leader Alain Prost struggled with an occasionally baulky gearchange, Capelli squeezed the sleekly raised nose of his March 881 ahead of the McLaren as they crossed the finish line on the 16th lap, to huge cheers from spectators and media. Eyebrows were certainly raised over the performance of the relatively low-funded team, with a 3.5-litre atmo engine developed by John Judd’s modest company in Rugby that hadn’t had anything like the budget Honda had sunk into their 1.5-litre turbo.

But what really lay beneath that stunning performance was Adrian Newey’s understanding of aerodynamics, and that season was really the first manifestation of that in the F1 arena. It wasn’t just technical knowledge, either; he had honed his practical skills on the 230mph ovals of IndyCar racing working for March between 1984 and ‘86. Small wonder that in some circles he is known as the man who can see and bend air, since he has such an uncanny ability to envision its flow characteristics almost as if he has no personal need for that greeny-yellow flow-vis paint teams sometimes use in a weekend’s first free practice sessions.

‘The man who can see and bend air’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...TnO74ChCAj8fG6


Red Bull after Newey: Falling apart, or strength in depth?
02/05/2024 at 08:11
Andrew Lewin
F1i.com

It wasn't so long ago that we thought Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari at the end of the year would be the stand-out story of 2024. But Wednesday's confirmation that legendary designer Adrian Newey is bowing out at Red Bull makes that driver move almost look like small potatoes. The immediate reaction by experts and fans is that Newey's departure is little short of apocalyptic for the team that he's been such an intrinsic part of for the last 19 years, and that its reign as the dominant force in Formula 1 is effectively already over.

The view from Newey is somewhat different, as the 65-year-old talked about this being the right time to hand over responsibility for Red Bull's car design to a new generation. If anyone knows what he's talking about on this point, it's surely him. "Now is an opportune moment to hand that baton over to others and to seek new challenges for myself," Newey said on Wednesday. "The final stages of development of the RB17 are upon us, so for the remainder of my time with the team my focus will lie there."

Aerodynamic chief Enrico Balbo has been the subject of particular praise from Horner, and technical director Pierre Wache's profile in charge of Red Bull's core team of design and aerodynamic engineers has also been in the ascendency according to The Race. As technical director in charge of the team's technical group, Wache reports directly to Horner and not to Newey, who hasn't been in that hands-on role for nearly a decade.

‘Red Bull after Newey’;

https://f1i.com/news/506628-red-bull...-in-depth.html


‘A new chapter’: Red Bull now have ‘most logical’ successor to Adrian Newey as technical director
Thu 2 May 2024 07:30
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Red Bull Racing have to prepare for life without Adrian Newey very soon but a potential successor may already exist within the team. Max Verstappen is the latest driver to benefit from his genius and Adrian Newey could win his 14th Drivers’ Championship with the Dutchman. Speaking on the Autosport Podcast, journalist Haydn Cobb believes an obvious candidate stands out to step up in the 65-year-old’s place.

Could Pierre Wache step into Adrian Newey’s shoes? Talking about the future of Red Bull’s technical team, Cobb said: “It was a case of cut now if the damage is done and they look to start their new chapter with the sort of Ford-backed Red Bull Powertrains coming on in a couple of years. “Or try and repair said damage and keep [Adrian] Newey as part of the team moving forwards.”

“It seems like the first option has been taken and they’re going to look to very much start a new chapter as the team in more ways than one and probably in more ways than they would have wanted. They would of course have wanted to keep Newey going into the new era. But, as you say, Pierre Wache looks like the most logical next direct head of technical development, not that he wasn’t already working alongside Newey, but he will be getting the full responsibility of that.”

‘Pierre Wache looks like the most logical next direct head of technical development’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/red...ical-director/


What Does Newey’s Leaving Mean for Red Bull’s Future?
May 2, 2024
By Siwar Cheimbi
PlanetF1.com

Throughout his illustrious career, Newey has left a significant imprint on every team he’s been a part of. His departure from Williams in 1996 marked the beginning of a decline for the team, which has yet to recapture its former glory.

Similarly, after Newey’s exit from McLaren in 2005, the team struggled to replicate their previous successes, with only one Driver’ Championship secured in the following years. Now, as Newey is confirmed to leave Red Bull, questions arise about the potential repercussions for the team’s future dominance in the sport.

The Collective Effort: Beyond Newey’s Genius: However, it’s essential to dispel the misconception that F1 success hinges solely on the genius of one individual. While Newey’s contributions are undeniably significant, the true backbone of Red Bull’s performance lies in its dedicated technical team of around 300 individuals. These unsung heroes work tirelessly behind the scenes, translating Newey’s vision into tangible performance on the track. The success of Red Bull is a collective effort. Newey and technical director Pierre Wache oversee resources and provide strategic direction.

‘Red Bull’s Future’;

https://worldinsport.com/what-does-a...-bulls-future/