F1 guru Adrian Newey defiant in STAUNCH FIA criticism

Adrian Newey, Red Bull, — Photo: © IMAGO

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Newey defiant in STAUNCH FIA criticism

The design ace will leave Red Bull in 2025, but is still having a say on F1

By Rhys Thomas.

Tuesday 11 June 2024 20:00

Departing Red Bull chief Adrian Newey has criticised the proposed set of technical regulations from the FIA which are set to arrive in 2026.

It was announced in May that Newey would leave Red Bull after 18 years together, overseeing seven championship winning machines.

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His next destination is yet to be revealed, though there have been persistent links to other F1 teams, predominantly with Ferrari but also Aston Martin and Williams.

Newey could, of course, depart the sport altogether, though his detailed thoughts on the newly unveiled 2026 Formula 1 regulations suggest he still feels he has a role to play in the paddock.

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However, at another team, he could play a part in the new regulations, which aim to improve sustainability and promote better racing via a host of changes.

Reacting to what he describes as another "generational change", Newey said: “We know the rough principles of what the FIA is trying to achieve, which was initially a desire for a 50-50 combustion engine-electric mix.

"Whether that’s a good direction or not, it’s probably best I don’t comment. There is a drive to make the cars a bit lighter but the reality is it’s a heavy power unit, so there is only so far you can go.

“There is also a drive to make the cars more aerodynamically efficient, which I totally agree with and support.

"Unfortunately we suffer the same problem in motorsport as the industry: we end up working to a very prescribed and prescriptive set of regulations. In general, the drive is for zero tailpipe emissions by… well, whenever the moving target settles. It seems the wrong thing to me."

The FIA released an image of how F1 cars could look in 2026

The design ace moved to suggest a design system which he would favour going forward in F1, indicating that he may still wish to work in the sport.

“This is the approach I’d prefer: we want to make the automobile less damaging to the planet, this is what you need to achieve, prescribe the make-up of the damage to the planet, set a broad set of limits and off you go – instead of zero tailpipe emissions which effectively means it’s either battery or hydrogen, neither of which currently reach the levels of performance we expect for grand prix racing’s format," he said.

There was also some direct criticism of the FIA, with Newey accusing the sport's governing body of being unduly motivated by certain teams.

“The FIA appears to be heavily influenced by one or two manufacturers, in the hope they will appease those manufacturers but also perhaps attract others in," he added.

"I suppose since Audi are coming in for 2026 there has been a partial success in this regard, but I’m not sure it’s worth the overall compromise of what could be achieved. The reality is manufacturers come and go, with the exception of Ferrari.

“It’s the teams that are core to the business and then of course the big actual core is the viewing public. So it’s essential we provide a good show and as part of that variety is proven to be well rewarded.”

How good the F1 show is from 2026 remains to be seen; since the highly-anticipated 2022 regulations, Newey's Red Bull have dominated, though the pack appears to finally be closing in on the Milton Keynes team.

Red Bull Lewis Hamilton Ferrari FIA Adrian Newey