Adrian Newey says Red Bull will need “freak luck” in a race to be able to win a grand prix this season.

Daniel Ricciardo won three races in 2014 as Red Bull finished second in the constructors’ championship as the only team to secure victory other than Mercedes. However, 2015 has seen the four-time constructors’ champions even further off the pace, with both drivers yet to finish on the podium.

Newey has taken a more backseat role so far this season as he focuses on other projects at Red Bull, and he admits winning just one race is unlikely.

“I can’t see us being able to win a race this year,” Newey told F1i. “Not without one of those freak luck things.”

And Newey says the lack of success is as much down to the RB11 not being as strong as its predecessor as it is due to a lack of performance from the Renault power unit.

“I think in fairness this year hasn’t been as strong as Mercedes and Ferrari. But there’s been various regulation changes which have happened over the last 12 months which have meant the aerodynamic route we have taken prior to that we’ve had to revise and look at a different direction, which obviously takes time.

“There’s no point in crying about it, it’s just one of those things. So we’re still in the process of doing that. Some of that work has been gradually going on the car through this season and if you look at [Silverstone] it seems to be going in the right direction.”

Click here for a look at the technical updates brought to the British Grand Prix

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.

Recent Posts

Stella confirms engine-related failures, but won’t blame Mercedes

McLaren endured a bitterly frustrating weekend at the Chinese Grand Prix as both of its…

10 mins ago

Kirkwood beats Palou to claim Arlington IndyCar glory

Kyle Kirkwood delivered a masterpiece on Sunday in the shadows of AT&T Stadium, proving that…

2 hours ago

‘A horror show’: Wolff links Verstappen’s attacks to Red Bull’s woes

While Max Verstappen continues to wage a verbal war against Formula 1’s 2026 regulations, Mercedes…

2 hours ago

F1i Driver Ratings for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix

The Pre-Race Casualty Ward The Chinese Grand Prix generated an overflow of drama before the…

4 hours ago

Bearman’s first lap Chinese GP fright: ‘I’m lucky to be standing here’

Oliver Bearman delivered a stunning recovery drive at the Chinese Grand Prix – a performance…

5 hours ago

Alonso lost feel in limbs mid-race as crisis deepens at Aston Martin

Last weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix was the scene of another crisis for Aston Martin, with…

6 hours ago