“What’s life without challenges?” This is surely one of the many mantras Adrian Newey believes in. It’s easy to understand why we say this. He left McLaren in 2006 for Red Bull. Back then, McLaren was directly competing with Ferrari and Williams, it was that strong. The energy drink brand was at its nascent stage in F1. But Newey took it as a challenge to get the team on its feet. Surprisingly, nothing has changed after two decades! He has left the strongest team in F1 for allegedly Aston Martin.

However, an anecdote tells, how smartly, Christian Horner persuaded Adrian Newey to become a part of his new team in 2005. Of course, the strategies worked, and with Red Bull, the aerodynamics wizard created history. Fans of the Austrian team must thank Horner for his subtle yet impactful move that brought Newey to the garage.

Adrian Newey braced the couch of the Talking Bull podcast. On the show, he shared the story behind his move from the top team to a new team. The design genius spent nine seasons with McLaren. By the time the 2005 F1 season began, he started feeling stale in the Woking-based team. “I felt like I needed a new challenge, so I started looking around.” That year, F1 icon, David Coulthard was driving at Red Bull. He told Newey, “Look Adrian, I think this is a great team. You should think about it.” Adrian Newey further narrated: ” Christian Horner made a habit of just happening to be walking the opposite way down the paddock and bumping into me. So we started talking.”

Horner would cleverly bump into the maestro on the paddock. That was the beginning of Newey-Horner at Red Bull. But, the challenge was huge, Adrian Newey was technically risking his career. But then, the aspiration and hope that at some point they could win a race kept him motivated.

Two decades of a glorious legacy for the next generation: Adrian Newey’s stint at Red Bull

Adrian Newey resigned as the Chief Technical Officer of Red Bull. His sad departure from the team is a suspicious tale for the F1 community. It is largely believed to be the after-effect of the power struggle between Christian Horner and advisor Helmut Marko. There are rumors that the genius wasn’t being paid attention to in recent times. Mostly, the information has been kept confidential. But what remains out before the public is Newey’s legacy in F1, precisely in Red Bull.

The Aero Wizard is like Midas. Whatever he touches turns into gold. His designs have been one of the most successful models in F1. With Red Bull alone, Adrian Newey has achieved a remarkable seven driver’s championships and six constructor’s championships. Following his exit, Newey said: “For almost two decades it has been my great honor to have played a key role in Red Bull Racing’s progress from upstart newcomer to multiple title-winning Team. However, I feel now is an opportune moment to hand that baton over to others and seek new challenges for myself.” As you can see, Adrian Newey’s drive for new challenges continues even after all these years.

His design was the first F1 car Lewis Hamilton test-drove in 2006. Newey’s design brought four consecutive titles to Sebastian Vettel in Red Bull and three titles for Max Verstappen. If Adrian Newey isn’t the greatest car designer of all time, then, who is? However, interestingly, this time, the genius is taking his time to announce his next team. As per reports and rumors, Aston Martin is his new squad. But, suspense persists. Where will he go next? What do you think? Share below.