Adrian Newey explains why his favourite Red Bull car didn’t win a title

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Adrian Newey has been a prolific character in Formula 1 having been a key proponent of Red Bull’s success in the last 18 years.

After joining the team in 2006, Adrian Newey was tasked with bringing success to the team after years of failures under the Jaguar entry.

Their cars in 2007 and 2008 came close to victories, but it was the big regulation shake-up in 2009 when they finally yielded their first victory with Sebastian Vettel at the Chinese Grand Prix.

Vettel would go on to win four titles with the team throughout the 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 seasons, before Max Verstappen became their next title success in 2021.

Out of all of their cars, which one is Newey’s favourite? Discussing it on Red Bull’s Instagram page, he picks the one that did not win a title.

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Adrian Newey explains why RB5 was his favourite Red Bull

Although the RB5 from 2009 was a race winner, Red Bull’s rivals including Brawn GP and Toyota gained an early advantage via the controversial double diffuser concept.

Red Bull eventually introduced their version of the double diffuser, and a year later they started their period of domination with Vettel at the wheel.

This included setting a record for most consecutive wins in 2013 before it was beaten by Verstappen last year in the RB19. Newey explains why he likes the RB5 the most, even though it did not win a title.

“In some ways RB5, because that’s the car that set us on the path. Ok, it didn’t win the championship, but the four derivatives that came from that car went on to win the next four,” said Newey.

Adrian Newey’s title-winning Red Bull cars

Since he joined the team, Newey has produced an astonishing seven title-winning cars for Red Bull and helped the team break numerous long-standing records along the way.

The RB19 became the car that broke McLaren’s win percentage record last year having taken 21 out of a possible 22 victories with Verstappen and Sergio Perez.

The RB16B was part of the relentless and unforgettable title battle between Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen during the 2021 season, in which Red Bull clinched the Drivers’ title at the final race in Abu Dhabi – albeit in controversial circumstances.

As Newey heads to Aston Martin for his next challenge, he will no doubt be looking to add to his title success and cement himself as the greatest and most successful F1 car designer of all time.