Adrian Newey Reminisces On Red Bull Career Ahead Of Exit

Adrian Newey's reflects on his career at Red Bull ahead of his exit.

Adrian Newey / Red Bull Content Pool

Adrian Newey recently took to Red Bull Racing’s podcast, "Talking Bull," to discuss his storied career as he prepares to step away from the team. With a tenure in motorsport spanning nearly 45 years and having been a linchpin in Red Bull’s F1 success, Newey offered a reflective look at his major career decisions, significant victories, and the hurdles faced during the transformative hybrid era of the sport.

Newey's journey at Red Bull began with a leap of faith, leaving a well-established position at McLaren to join a then-fledgling team. He explained, as quoted by GP Blog:

"I thought, well, it's a big challenge. It's a huge career risk, but one I feel up for. And so when I started, really, it was with the aspiration and hope that at some point we could win a race."

He fondly recalled the team's first major victory with Sebastian Vettel at Toro Rosso in Monza in 2008. The emotional triumph and it set a precedent for the years to come.

"So kind of when we won that first - well, we won the race with Sebastian in his Toro Rosso in Monza in 2008 - in China was in 2009 was quite a landmark. And then and then going on to that last race in Abu Dhabi. 2010 and winning the championship against the odds with Sebastian's drive that that weekend and Ferrari's mistake on the strategy. That was that was something I'll never forget."

However, every high has its counterpart. As F1 moved into the hybrid era, Red Bull initially struggled with the shift, posing another series of hurdles that tested Newey. Despite these difficulties, the team adapted and remained a formidable competitor.

"Then we had to do work and stuff, but managed to manage to keep going and got that one and then, of course, 2021, which is, I think will be talked about for many years. Forever, probably. Yeah. And it was, I think of all my years in motor racing, that was the most difficult year."

It is currently unclear where Newey might end up next, although he has been linked to a position at either Aston Martin or Ferrari. Newey announced his shocking exit from the Austrian team ahead of this years Miami Grand Prix. He is set to see out his garden leave with an official exit from the team after the first quarter of 2025.