Red Bull chief technical officer Adrian Newey is no longer part of the team’s daily design process, but he remains an irreplaceable contributor to the reigning world champions’ engineering efforts according to technical director Pierre Wache.
Newey, whose designs won world titles with Williams and McLaren before he joined Red Bull in 2006, remains a driving force behind the Milton Keynes-based outfit’s success despite stepping back from the day-to-day management of the team’s technical affairs in 2014.
He still acts as a leader and inspiration for the elite group of engineers that produced what is undoubtedly one of the greatest F1 cars ever made: the 2023 all-conquering Red Bull RB19.
Although nearing retirement at the age of 65, Newey continues to serve as a valuable consultant to the team, providing his expertise and fresh perspectives to the design and development of Red Bull’s race cars.
Team boss Christian Horner recently stated that his outfit’s tech department can function under Wache’s leadership and without Newey’s intervention.
But the Frenchman believes that Newey’s contribution remains an invaluable asset in maintaining Red Bull's dominance in F1.
"He’s irreplaceable, yes – you cannot replace him!" Wache told Motorsport.com.
"On a daily basis, he’s not part of our process. He’s more coming from the sideways and trying to help us or challenge us on different aspects of the team – it could be mechanical design, aero or vehicle dynamics."
Newey's legacy in F1 is firmly established, with his innovative designs and engineering prowess leaving an indelible mark on the sport.
Clearly, as a 30-year veteran of F1, the Briton’s experience as a designer is second to no one. And that’s a formidable asset that Wache and his colleagues – and especially the younger generation of Red Bull engineers – can rely on to help their ideas flourish.
"You have to use him as experience, as he has less time for us," said the Frenchman. “He’s more… I don’t know the word in English – when you say somebody is there to challenge one aspect of stuff.
“He’s not there to do the plan, to do the full concept of the car.”
Adrian Newey, Christian Horner and Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache.
Indeed, Newey’s presence is more like a filter of sorts, as a test of a concept or idea’s validity. But consulting Red Bull’s design guru is also accepting a challenge from Newey’s genius.
“I tell you I would say more challenging than [agreeing],” commented Wache. "I think it’s good. Because when you have a step back, you see also different things.
“He has a different background than all of us. And also, he has some knowledge that we don’t have. Because we didn’t experience that [yet]."
Another important contribution made by Newey is the Briton’s humility which fosters a collaborative and supportive environment, insists Wache.
"He’s a very smart person and he’s still very open-minded,” he said. “People with plenty of success normally [think] their idea is the best, and he’s not like that. He’s very open-minded.
“I think he’s working like that – as a mentor and challenging us."
