Newey says RB18 record win rate 'very rewarding'

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Max Verstappen was the man in the limelight last weekend at Suzuka, but Red Bull chief technical officer Adrian Newey had a good reason to share the Dutchman's glory.

As Formula 1's most acclaimed designer whose creations and those he has overseen have won over one hundred races and a bundle of world titles, Newey is an asset as every bit as important to Red Bull as Verstappen.

In Japan last weekend, Verstappen clinched his 12th victory of the season, putting himself on the verge of Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel's joint record of 13 wins in a single season.

And Vettel's milestone was reached in 2013 at the wheel of the Newey-penned Red Bull RB9.

Read also: Verstappen offers to help Pirelli improve wet weather tyre

But if one adds Sergio Perez's contribution to Red Bull's 2022 tally, that boosts the team's score to 14 victories from 18 races, or a 77.77% win rate, or the most for any machine designed by Newey.

At Suzuka, Sky F1's Ted Kravitz submitted that statistic to the British engineer who was unsurprisingly unaware of the fact.

"I’m not very good [with] numbers, but that’s very rewarding to know!" said a humble Newey.

"We’ve obviously had a good run. I think Ferrari had a very quick car early on, [and] in many races, to be honest, they were probably a bit quicker.

"But I think we’ve kind of managed to round out the performance envelope of the car and try to get it working at all circuits."

Newey was quick to credit all those hard-working folk at Milton Keynes who contributed to Red Bull's "team effort".

But the 63-year-old ultimately shone the light on the man of the hour.

"Max has been absolutely superb this year," added Newey. "Obviously in the traffic in Singapore he made a little mistake, but apart from that, he’s made absolutely no mistakes.

"[He’s been] very mature and always had the speed, so I think he thoroughly deserves all the success he’s having this year."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.