Aston Martin’s successful acquisition of Adrian Newey was one of many blockbuster signings from last season. The Silverstone team will hope that Newey’s impact in 2026 can push them to the very front. As he waits to begin work at Aston Martin in March, the 66-year-old has discussed the trajectory of his now former team – Red Bull.
Adrian Newey: The car became difficult to drive
At the surface, it is difficult to explain how Red Bull’s superiority over the rest of the field evaporated so quickly.
Having dominated the field in unprecedented fashion in 2023, the Milton Keynes team found itself out-developed by McLaren and Ferrari over the course of last season.
Traditionally, overcoming the advantage that Red Bull generated takes several seasons – if at all.
With that said, Red Bull’s decline was not necessarily a huge surprise to Adrian Newey. Having left the Austrian outfit last April, the British engineer was still involved in the RB20’s development – at least in the build-up to 2024.
Crucially, for all of Newey’s obvious genius and success, his input was not always followed. Other voices in Christian Horner’s technical structure also played a role in the path Red Bull followed last winter.
Speaking in a recent interview, Adrian Newey explains that some of his reservations were not shared by his colleagues:
“From what I could see… the ’24 car – and the very last stages of ’23 as well I would say – was starting to become more difficult to drive,” he explained to AMuS.
“Of course Max could handle that, if you like. It didn’t suit him, but he could handle it – Checo couldn’t.
“So you also started through ’23 to see more of a difference in performance between the teammates. That carried into the first parts of ’24. But the car was still quick enough to be able to cope with it.
“It’s something I was starting to become concerned about. But not many other people in the organisation seemed to be very concerned.”
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A critical phase for Red Bull
For obvious reasons, anything less than winning the 2025 Championship would be a disappointment for Red Bull.
Even with last season’s uninspiring trajectory, the RB20 was still capable of fighting for victories in the final rounds – albeit with far greater difficulty than in the early stages.
Then again, the odds are very much stacked against Red Bull. Adrian Newey is not the only big name to leave Milton Keynes – as rivals have worked to poach some of Christian Horner’s best personnel.
Rob Marshall, who joined McLaren from Red Bull in 2024, has been credited by team principal Andrea Stella for having a significant impact in their 2024 ascendance.
Marshall is one of many key players to depart from the former Champions. Red Bull must compensate for this loss in talent if they want to avoid the consequences of “brain drain”.
Returning to Newey, there is no denying his brilliance as an engineer. Of course, this does not guarantee he can immediately turn Aston Martin into champions when the 2026 regulations arrive.
Still, as Lawrence Stroll’s team works to create a winning formula, Adrian Newey will be front and centre.
