What Adrian Newey did in 2022 at Red Bull that left rival designers ‘open-mouthed’ in admiration

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An announcement on Adrian Newey’s next challenge in Formula 1 is expected imminently.

Aston Martin have called a press conference for Tuesday where it is believed that Adrian Newey will join their impressive backroom staff in 2025.

It’s a worrying blow for Red Bull who have seen their car’s performance drop off throughout the season and now both championships are at risk.

Max Verstappen admitted in Miami that he would have liked Newey to have remained at Red Bull.

“I would have preferred, of course, Adrian to stay,” Verstappen said, via Sky Sports F1.

“But at the end of the day also… and that’s what I said to Adrian, you have to do what you think is best for yourself.”

READ MORE: Damon Hill shares why he thinks Adrian Newey is the perfect fit for Aston Martin

In a report from BBC Sport, Newey’s level of expertise on the grid compared to his colleagues was made clear during one moment at the start of the current regulations.

Christian Horner and Newey have disagreed over his importance to the team in recent years with the 65-year-old working on other projects such as the RB17 alongside overseeing their Formula 1 project.

However, in 2022 when the latest generation of cars were first revealed, Red Bull were miles clear of their rivals.

It led to Verstappen winning his second title and the following year, Red Bull produced the most dominant season in F1 history.

Adrian Newey’s 2022 Red Bull development left rival designers ‘open-mouthed’

The report from BBC Sport explains that the way the wheels joined to the chassis of the car became an important topic heading into his era of F1.

Most teams had decided upon a push-rod system for the front of the car and a pull-rod system at the back.

Newey decided to flip these two components before designing an ‘especially sophisticated’ underfloor design that left his rivals ‘open-mouthed in admiration’.

It proved vital and Red Bull’s competition have since taken inspiration from his work to close the gap in performance.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

Talking about how he prepared for the current rule set, Newey said: “When we were looking at trying to understand not simply loopholes but also what was required to suit these regulations back in 2021, it was trying to get the fundamentals right, trying to get the architecture to suit the aerodynamic rules, suspension.

“So we decided to go pull-rod front, push-rod rear, which was opposite to what most cars had been in the previous rules.

“We felt that’s what best suited the aerodynamic requirements of the car.

“So I think we managed to get the fundamentals of the car right when it came out at the start of last year.”

Peter Windsor thinks one F1 team need Adrian Newey more than Aston Martin

Aston Martin will be delighted that alongside the likes of Andy Cowell and Enrico Cardile, they appear to have won the race to sign Newey.

Although they sit 5^th in the Constructors’ Championship, they’re a long way off the top four manufacturers and will be looking over their shoulder at the likes of Haas, RB and Alpine.

Peter Windsor has suggested that Mercedes need Newey more than Aston Martin although it’s unlikely that Fernando Alonso would agree.

The two-time world champion has been waiting for over a decade for his 33^rd win in F1.

A long-awaited partnership with Newey could be just what he needs to finally stand on the top step of the podium again.