“Not Necessarily a Marriage Made in Heaven”: Fiery Tussle Between Christian Horner & Adrian Newey Cited as Reason Behind Red Bull’s Success

If Red Bull has anyone to thank for the beast of a car, it’s built this season, it’s Adrian Newey—its Chief Technical Officer. Formula 1 brought an overhaul of regulation changes in 2022, which called for entirely new car designs. And when it comes to regulation changes and car designs, there’s no one better than Adrian Newey to have on your team. The Milton Keynes outfit had him, and he delivered. But it wasn’t all him.

The RB19 wasn’t just Newey’s brainchild. As crucial as he is to the team, someone else is just as important—Team Principal Christian Horner. With how well the RB19 is working on the track, you would think that Horner and Newey would have the best chemistry of it and agree on everything. Well, that’s not exactly the case.

Christian Horner and Adrian Newey are at odds more often than not

Horner and Newey have worked together for 18 years since the latter joined the team in 2006. Over the years, the two have gotten to know each other pretty well, but according to Eddie Jordan, they have clashing personalities that might have caused friction in the team. And just because this friction hasn’t reflected in Red Bull’s on-track performances doesn’t mean it’s non-existent.

But in his podcast, Formula For Success, Jordan explains that their clashing personalities are a good thing and have helped the team transform from a midfield one to a title-winning team. As quoted by express.co.uk, he said, “It’s not necessarily a marriage made in heaven. Sometimes that helps! Adrian can be a fiery guy, and Christian equally so, but it works.” It all checks out. This season, Red Bull has been unbeatable, winning almost every race by over a 20-second margin.

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Red Bull has figured it is good to have two fiery personalities heading the operations in Milton Keynes. While it wouldn’t work in most cases, it has for Red Bull. And it’s found a way to make the most of it. Jordan added, “I think, even though sometimes it looks somewhat a little bit turbulent from the outside, Adrian Newey has found his natural home.” Forming strong partnerships is one of the keys to succeeding in a team sport, and right now, there might not be a better one than the Horner-Newey partnership.

Adrian Newey has found his home at Red Bull

Adrian Newey is one of the most successful engineers in F1. When Red Bull won its 100th race in Canada, Newey won his 200th as an engineer. Before joining Red Bull, he guided Williams and McLaren to glory, but those two teams didn’t suit him as Red Bull does. And eventually, he found his way to his “natural home.” Jordan explained, “He was good at Williams, but he never really liked it. Him and Ron Dennis at McLaren, while they were massively successful, I think it [Red Bull] just suits Adrian Newey and the brain that he’s got.”

Newey revealed that Ferrari tried to bring him to Maranello to be part of its team, but he declined the offer and signed an extension with Red Bull. While talking about the 18-year partnership he’s had with Newey that is set to extend, Horner said, “He’s a great part of the team, it’s great to have him with us, and as the team continues to evolve, we’ve got strength, and depth, but to have Adrian for the longer term with us is fantastic for everyone in the team.”

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What do you think about the Horner-Newey partnership? With the RB19, will Red Bull win every race this season?