F1 genius Adrian Newey crashed a motorbike through a motorhome: 'He's a risk taker'

Adrian Newey

F1 genius Adrian Newey crashed a motorbike through a motorhome - 'he's a risk taker'

The design genius lives for speed

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Monday 13 April 2026 22:30 Updated: 22:40

Adrian Newey is F1’s foremost genius, and he is also a racing daredevil.

To the casual observer Newey - the studious 67-year-old design legend famed for his notebook and pencil - may not look like an out-and-out racer who is the ultimate speed freak. But then again, those casual observers have never met him.

As well as building unbelievable cars in a glittering career on the F1 grid, Newey has deep love of getting behind the wheel or the handlebars. If it is going to go fast, he is down to try it.

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Newey still drives one-time F1 cars even now, taking part regularly in the Grand Prix Historique annually in Monaco and Goodwood’s Festival of Speed (where he drove Niki Lauda’s iconic Ferrari 312T up the famous Hill).

Many legends of the sport have a Newey story or two which does not relate to his peerless design skills, but the best of all perhaps comes courtesy of 1996 world champion Damon Hill.

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Adrian Newey, motorbikes and motorhomes

Hill, just another driver who claimed his world title glory in a Newey car, retold it during an episode of The Undercut podcast, and it came on two wheels and not four.

“He’s also a risk taker because he’s crashed… was it a GT40 he crashed at Le Mans? He doesn’t care,” said Hill.

“I don’t know whether it’s brave or stupid, but he wants to have a go and he loves racing and stuff and he famously crashed a motorbike right through the motorhome, apparently at Williams one year when a wheelie got out of control.”

“That was before I got there, I would have loved to have seen it.”

Newey of course is now dealing with a very different challenge as he looks to get Aston Martin back on track after a disastrous start to the 2026 season. We can be sure if it does happen, the great man will find the perfect way to let his hair down…

F1 Adrian Newey Damon Hill