Newey reveals his favourite F1 team... and it's NOT Red Bull

Adrian Newey has lifted the lid on his favourite Formula 1 team that have played a major part in his success – and it's not Red Bull.

The legendary designer is all but set to start work at Aston Martin in 2025 who on Sunday released their final F1 car before the start of their new era.

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Newey left Red Bull last season where he helped the team pick up eight drivers' world championships between Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen as well as six constructors' titles.

Newey had been at the team for nearly two decades having previously also enjoyed success at McLaren, a team he helped restore to their former glories after arriving in 1997, helping Mika Hakkinen become a double world champion in his battles with Michael Schumacher and also clinching the 1998 constructors' crown.

Williams were also highly beneficial from Newey who was key to the team's 1990 dominance, helping pave the way for Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve to all take world titles and adding five constructors' championships along the way too.

Yet none of these teams come out on top as Newey's favourite, and neither do his earlier teams including Leyton House, March, Haas Lola or Fittipaldi.

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Newey explains love for Lotus

Instead it is the famous Team Lotus led by another F1 pioneer in Colin Chapman that inspired Newey, with the now defunct team a favourite in his household.

Under Chapman, Jim Clark and Graham Hill would take world titles, before a slow decline led to their 1994 demise - despite a mid-1980s flourish with Ayrton Senna onboard.

Newey explained in an interview with AMuS that the team, as well as a model toy kit that he made provided great inspiration in his early years.

“Lotus very much became the brand that I would support or the family would support when you're watching a grand prix plus the Lotus 49 Tamia 12 scale model I referred to [had built as a child].

“But also just trying to read books and it became obvious that Lotus were in Formula 1 at any rate perhaps the biggest innovators on a year-by-year basis.”

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