Former Red Bull F1 drivers laud the ‘unique genius’ of Newey

The news of Adrian Newey’s departure from Red Bull at the end of the season has sparked a wave of tributes, with Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, and Daniel Ricciardo all expressing their gratitude for the legendary designers contributions to their careers.

Newey's exit, a subject of speculation over the past months, follows a decorated 19-year stint with Red Bull.

During his tenure, the Briton was instrumental in transforming the Milton Keynes-based outfit from a midfield contender to a multiple championship winner.

Newey’s technical and creative vision played a pivotal role in Red Bull's four consecutive Constructors' Championships with Sebastian Vettel from 2010 to 2013 and in the team’s recent resurgence with Max Verstappen at the helm.

Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, who raced for Red Bull Racing during the 2019 F1 season sees working with Newey as the highlight of his time with the bulls’ family.

"A unique genius I'll say, extremely talented, most successful engineer in the history of our sport," Gasly said when asked to describe the British engineer, as quoted by Motorsport.com.

"Very particular approach - I still remember going to Milton Keynes and him like drawing all sorts of stuff on his board, and I thought like, is that how we draw F1 cars like these days?

"And it's just very impressive and actually, probably my best memory from Red Bull was working with such a special individual. I had a very good relationship with Adrian. Very humble guy and down to earth."

Read also:

• Red Bull to unleash Newey-designed RB17 Hypercar at Goodwood

Gasly was succeeded at Red Bull Racing by Alex Albon, who recalled how Newey was “very connected” to the driving side of things as an engineer.

“He was very connected to the driving side. He really wanted to know how it felt,” said the Anglo-Thai racer.

“I think in some ways, he still understood that the car needs to be set up a certain way to get the most out of it.

"His office is opposite Christian's, so I'd always go to see him. I was more involved with that kind of stuff speaking with Adrian during 2021, when I was more of a sim guy, trying to fix some of the issues we had in 2020, the same kind of things understanding philosophies and what areas he needs to focus on.

"If it was something that he felt was important, he'd always come and speak to me after a Sunday and want my opinion about it, which was nice to have that relationship with someone who's obviously so influential."

Daniel Ricciardo who racked up seven of his eight career wins in F1 with Red Bull remembered how seeing Newey’s drawing board in his office felt “kind of intimidating”.

"[It was] a privilege to work with him, privilege to drive several of his race cars," Ricciardo said.

"Obviously a bit of a fan of the sport and even you know, my dad, when I signed with Red Bull, was like, 'Oh, you're gonna get to work with Adrian.' That was exciting for him as well.

"Walking into his office is kind of intimidating because of the big design board, he's probably going to ask me things I have no idea what he's talking about.

"I hoped 'don't ask me too many questions, let's just keep this fairly basic for my own good' but also he's a fan of motorsport - he gets involved, whether it's Goodwood, the Revival or things like this. He's just a fan deep down like all of us.”

As for the man himself, Newey says that he’s been “surprised “ by the plaudits sent his way since the announcement of his exit from Red Bull.

“I mean, I’ve been doing the job I’ve always wanted to since I was a kid. That’s my passion,” he told Sky F1.

“And I enjoy working with the drivers, the engineers in the team, all the other mechanics at the factory, etc. That’s what gets me up and motivates me.

“The kind of other side of it [his winning statistics] is something I guess comes as part of the package, but not something I ever think about. So it has been a bit of a shock and a surprise almost.

“So statistics and all that isn’t something that drives me. It’s what I do and I just kind of normally end up under the radar and I’m very happy with that.”

Newey will remain with Red Bull for the remainder of the 2024 season, ensuring continuity for the current campaign. He will also see through the development of the team's hypercar project, the RB17.

However, all eyes are now on where Newey's next chapter will be written, with his departure from Red Bull marking a significant moment in F1 history.

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