Adrian Newey Opens Up On How Max Verstappen Reacted To Lewis Hamilton 2021 Battle

Saajan Jogia | Sep 10, 2024

Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Third placed Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes celebrate in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on June 23, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images) / Red Bull Content Pool

Red Bull chief technical officer Adrian Newey revealed on a recent podcast about the "strong feelings" Max Verstappen had against Lewis Hamilton after their 2021 clash at Silverstone. Verstappen carried the intensity throughout the season, ultimately winning the championship under controversial circumstances.

The Verstappen-Hamilton rivalry is one of Formula 1's most intense in recent decades, with the pair repeatedly clashing on several race weekends, only for the seven-time world champion to end his championship-winning streak at the end of the season.

Not only between the drivers, but tensions between Red Bull and Mercedes reached a boiling point in 2021 as Verstappen and Hamilton fiercely contested the drivers' championship. The situation escalated dramatically at the British Grand Prix, where Hamilton and Verstappen made contact. The sheer force of the crash sent the Dutchman hurtling into the tire barriers with a massive 52G impact. Hamilton meanwhile, went on to win his home race at Silverstone.

Throughout the 2021 season, the fierce rivalry between the two drivers kept the championship battle tight, with both contenders closely matched in the standings. The dramatic climax came at the final race in Abu Dhabi, where Verstappen secured the title on the last lap. This outcome followed a controversial decision by race director Michael Masi, who instructed a race restart after a late crash, a move that many argued was against the rulebook.

Newey touched upon the hot 2021 season on the High Performance podcast following his signing with Aston Martin. He said:

"I don't think Max [Verstappen] is crackable.

"But he was just a little bit in the 2021 title fight. The intensity, particularly after Silverstone, on track between Lewis [Hamilton] and Max became so intense. After that incident, Max had very strong feelings after that Silverstone accident."

Although tensions subsided after Verstappen's first championship win, his and Red Bull's winning streak persisted through 2022 and 2023, as the team dominated the new ground effect era that began in 2022.

However, with the team's aerodynamic mastermind Newey moving to Aston Martin next year, and with Red Bull's slump in performance already evident in recent races, it remains to be seen how the team responds to competition after his departure.

Announcing Newey's appointment as Aston Martin's managing technical partner and shareholder, effective from March 1, 2025, team owner Lawrence Stroll stated in a press release today:

"This is huge news. Adrian is the best in the world at what he does – he is at the top of his game – and I am incredibly proud that he is joining the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team. It's the biggest story since the Aston Martin name returned to the sport and another demonstration of our ambition to build a Formula One team capable of fighting for world championships.

"As soon as Adrian became available, we knew we had to make it happen. Our initial conversations confirmed that there was a shared desire to collaborate in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"Adrian is a racer and one of the most competitive people I have ever met. When he saw what we have built at Silverstone – our incredible AMR Technology Campus, the talented group of people we have assembled and the latest wind tunnel in the sport – he quickly understood what we are trying to achieve. We mean business – and so does he.

"Adrian shares our hunger and ambition, he believes in this project, and he will help us write the next chapter in Aston Martin Aramco's Formula One story."