Red Bull chief makes worrying admission over F1 guru Adrian Newey

Adrian Newey and Christian Horner from Red Bull Racing — Photo: © LAT Images

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Red Bull chief makes worrying admission over F1 guru Newey

The RB19 was one of the most dominant cars in the history of Formula 1

Matthew Hobkinson Lead Editor

F1 Editor & Journalist

Thursday 4 January 2024 20:57

Red Bull's technical director Pierre Wache has claimed that the team cannot replace Adrian Newey as they prepare for their title defence during the 2024 Formula 1 season.

Newey's near-18-year stay with Red Bull has seen him guide the team to six constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles.

Their newly-found dominance of the sport – especially in 2023 – has been largely attributed to their superior car design compared to the rest of the grid.

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Of course Max Verstappen has played a pivotal role behind the wheel, but Red Bull have been in a league of their own when it comes to car design in recent years.

The combination of Max Verstappen (L) and Adrian Newey (R) has been flawless for Red Bull

And Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache has admitted that Adrian Newey cannot be replaced

And although Wache has admitted that Newey is not responsible for the entire concept of the car, the Frenchman did concede that there will be nobody who could step into Newey's shoes were he to leave.

Newey irreplaceable at Red Bull

"He’s irreplaceable, yes – you cannot replace him!" Wache told Motorsport.com.

"On a daily basis, he’s not part of our process. He’s more coming from the sideways and trying to help us or challenge us on different aspects of the team – it could be mechanical design, aero or vehicle dynamics."

"You have to use him as experience, as he has less time for us," he added.

"He’s more… I don’t know the word in English – when you say somebody is there to challenge one aspect of stuff. He’s not there to do the plan, to do the full concept of the car."

Red Bull Max Verstappen Formula 1 Christian Horner Sergio Perez Adrian Newey