Christian Horner believes his Red Bull team is fit to live without Adrian Newey; there are no plans yet for the design legend to step away from Formula 1.
Newey took some convincing to leave McLaren and join the fledgling Red Bull team in 2006. But their results since have proven it to be one of the best decisions team principal Horner has ever made.
Since then, six constructors’ titles and seven drivers’ titles have followed. And each of the machines that have achieved those successes bears Newey’s imprint – his experience has been a key component of everything Red Bull has achieved in F1.
Unfortunately for Horner, it’s not a deal that will last forever. Newey turned 65 on Boxing Day and, although he still plays a key role in the design procedure and as a mentor to his colleagues, he no longer has as much influence over the daily paintings that follow one another on stage in Milton Keynes.
Technical director Pierre Wache now plays an even more vital role. And the existing deal is part of Horner’s plans to prepare the team for when they have to deal with life without Newey.
“Adrian is a big component of this team and a big component of what we’ve achieved but, of course, his role has evolved over the last few years and the technical team under him, led by Pierre Wache, is doing a wonderful job. “they don’t count on Adrian,” he told Motorsport. com.
“He has the ability to come in, go out and work on other projects and I think that’s part of the evolution of any team. “To illustrate his point, he presents the setting of one of football’s wonderful dynasties.
He explained: “I’ve been a huge Manchester United fan, not as a Man United fan, but Alex Ferguson, they had [Eric] Cantona and then they just evolved. Red Bull is a team for which we are more powerful. We have Adrian with us, but of course the rest of the team is evolving. “
As technical director, Newey continues to play a vital role in the design of Red Bull cars. He works intensively with Wache and head of aerodynamics Enrico Balbo, among others, as a mastermind but also as a mentor to advise the artistic direction of those who build the fearsome machines to which Verstappen receives the keys.
And he recently made it clear that he has no intention of leaving anytime soon. “After being concerned at the beginning with Christian and Helmut [Marko], how we evolve the team, then why should I walk away from him?”Newey told Autosport.
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Newey’s success over the years has understandably attracted the interest of rival teams. Ferrari have, on several occasions, attempted to lure the design genius to Maranello but, as Newey himself explained earlier this year, the timing was never quite right – even if he admits he was tempted.
He said: “I’ve had conversations with Ferrari in the past. I was very tempted because it’s such a mythical brand. The most tempting time would have been around 1993 and 1997, when I left Williams for McLaren.
“It was a very complicated choice. At the time, my children were young and I didn’t know how they would adapt to an Italian school. If I were to sign up for a team founded in Italy, I would have to move to Italy. with the family. “
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