Adrian Newey snubbed star F1 driver because ‘he’s too big’

Adrian Newey

Adrian Newey snubbed star F1 driver because ‘he’s too big’

Size absolutely matters for design genius Newey

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Monday 6 April 2026 09:55

Adrian Newey might be the ultimate F1 perfectionist, forever seeking every possible tiny edge with the sole goal of making his latest car go faster.

The 67-year-old is the sport’s foremost design genius, having been the brainchild for serial winner after serial winner during a glittering career.

The Aston Martin team principal has provided the raw materials for 14 world drivers’ championship titles and 12 constructors’ titles, a quite incredible run of success.

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That success is built on Newey’s fundamental mindset, a single tunnel vision about how to design a car which can go quicker still. At the expense of anything in its way, including the driver.

Newey is well known for having the foresight to go where no designer has gone before, with a willingness to move things around to fit his broader goal of pure speed.

While some teams may factor in their star driver when designing a car - shouldn’t it fit his/her needs? - for Newey, having to think that way is almost an inconvenience. He does not allow it to get in the way.

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Newey on Hulkenberg: 'He's too big'

Damon Hill revealed this key side to Newey during the latest episode of ‘The Undercut’ podcast - a fascinating discussion which touches on many areas. One of them being Newey’s relationship with drivers. He doesn’t fit the car to suit them, he fits the driver to suit the car.

In recent times the 38-year-old Audi star Nico Hulkenberg has been linked with a move to Red Bull, notably during the Newey glory years in Milton Keynes. The deal almost happened back in 2021, before Mexican Sergio Perez eventually got the nod. Now, maybe, we have a strong clue as to why.

Hill said: “If he could design drivers then he’d be away. I remember once him talking about [Nico] Hulkenberg, I asked him ‘what do you think of Hulkenberg’ and he said ‘he’s pretty good, the problem is he’s too big from the waist up'.

“In other words he was taking into account the effect on the chassis of the guy’s physique, as being sufficiently negative to offset whatever benefit he brought as a driver. So sorry Nico, there’s nothing you could do about that.

“It really was that important to him [Newey], every little bit is calculated and any extra weight above the centre line on the car is no good.”

2026 a struggle so far for Newey and Aston Martin

Newey’s 2026 season so far has not lived up to his illustrious reputation, with Aston Martin struggling mightly. The team’s vibrating Honda power unit has had drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll struggling just to finish a race.

There are signs though that things may turn around soon, with Newey’s chassis in the top half of the grid per the great man himself. And Honda saying that those vibrations could be a thing of the past as early as the upcoming Miami Grand Prix on May 3.

F1 Red Bull Aston Martin Adrian Newey Nico Hulkenberg