Adrian Newey’s 7 Best Racing Cars | GRR

It says more that viewers have barely batted an eyelid at that huge sum, but have accepted that the greatest F1 designer of all time is indeed worth the investment. However, he has delivered 25 world championships between 1992 and 2023 in cars designed for Williams, McLaren and Red Bull.

Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve, Mika Häkkinen, Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen can all thank Newey for the cars they have supplied them with, and Aston Martin hopes to add more names to the list.

Several of Newey’s designs find their way onto the list of greatest F1 cars of all time, but let’s take a closer look at some of his finest work, starting with his early days in the March team’s IndyCar project.

March 86C

Fresh out of college, Newey’s career began in 1980 and he joined March in ’81, where he was first responsible for the team’s GTP project with the March 83G. The car won the IMSA GT championship in 1983 and 1984, but it paved Newey’s way to March’s IndyCar project, where he designed the March 85C and March 86C, both of which proved to be by far the fastest chassis. in the field.

In all, 16 teams, including Penske, ran the 86C in the 1986 IndyCar season, and it won 14 of 17 races, including the Indy 500. It propelled Bobby Rahal to the championship, while Michael Andretti and Danny Sullivan reached the top. three March 86C drivers. Penske also decided to run it again in the 1987 Indy 500, where Al Unser Sr. drove to victory again.

March 881

After a few years between IndyCar and F1, Newey was hired by March to take on the role of chief designer of the F1 team. His first F1 car was the March 881, which he designed for the 1988 season for drivers Ivan Capelli and Maurício Gugelmini.

The 881 was the first proof that Adrian Newey’s concept of car design was different from everyone else’s. It’s a beautiful car first and foremost, but it has that thin nose, those extremely sculpted side pods and the sculpted engine cover that’s reminiscent of his latest Red Bull designs. It stood out from the rest in 1988, and although initially stifled by its underpowered and unreliable Judd V8, Capelli eventually managed two podium finishes in the second half of the season to highlight the 881’s inherent potential.

Williams FW14B

Although results never came with March and Leyton House, Newey’s talent was evident and it wasn’t long before the top team came calling. Patrick Head of Williams secured his signature in 1990 and immediately set to work on the new FW14 for 1991. With a big new budget and an established world championship winning team to back him up, Newey finally had the infrastructure to develop a winning car. and he duly delivered.

Early reliability struggles cost it any chance of championship glory in 1991, but once these gremlins were ironed out, the FW14B became one of the most dominant cars in F1 history. Although not entirely due to Newey’s design assets, the FW14B was also the most technically advanced F1 car ever, with active suspension, traction control and a semi-automatic gearbox.

It was so overwhelming that the FW15, which was intended to race for most of 1992, was never used and was instead kept in competition in FW15C form in 1993.

Williams FW18

By 1996, Adrian Newey was used to winning and fighting for world championships, and FW18 was another masterpiece. We think it’s one of the most beautiful F1 cars of all time, with its sumptuous curves translating into remarkable speed.

It won a total of 12 races, eight for eventual champion Damon Hill and four for Jacques Villeneuve, and stormed to what was then one of the most dominant constructors’ championship wins in history, beating Ferrari by 105 points. You can see from the sculpting of the side skirts and the way the mandatory extra cockpit protection has been incorporated that Newey was once again a step ahead of the competition in the aerodynamics stakes.

McLaren MP4/13

Newey joined McLaren as technical director in 1997, and his first real role was overseeing the design and development of the MP4/13, which competed in the 1998 F1 season. Surprise, surprise, it was industry class, but at a level that even Newey hadn’t managed before. This was his first attempt at tackling a major regulatory change, and it’s safe to say he once again proved that his ability with the pen was a cut above everyone else’s.

Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard locked the front row in the first round in Melbourne and finished a round ahead of the rest of the field. Häkkinen won eight races en route to the championship, and McLaren fought off Ferrari’s eager challenge for the constructors’ championship.

Red Bull RB9

A decade after his success at McLaren, which oversaw a major regulatory overhaul, Newey was at it again in 2009 with Red Bull Racing. Almost overnight, Red Bull went from the lower end of the midfield to contending for the championship, and the man at the drawing board was once again a major factor in that fact. The RB6 brought the team its first titles in 2010, but Newey perfected the concept for this era in 2013 with the RB9.

The team had pulled off a very impressive three-in-a-row championship double with Sebastian Vettel, but it simply wasn’t enough for the man once described as the most competitive person in the F1 paddock. The RB9’s dominance was unprecedented as Vettel went on a nine-race winning streak and took a total of 13 victories en route to his fourth title.

Red Bull RB19

It was unprecedented and unmatched until Newey outdid himself by designing the most successful F1 car of all time ten years later. He had already reminded the world once again why he is regarded as the greatest F1 designer of all time when his RB18 concept mocked the competition as Max Verstappen walked to his second drivers’ title, but in his characteristic style he moved the needle even further in 2023 when Red Bull and Verstappen history together.

The team looked set to win every race that season as Verstappen embarked on a record-breaking ten-race winning streak, but an upset in Singapore ruined any chances of a clean sweep. Despite this very minor disappointment, the RB19 was a scary car with scary connotations for the rest of the grid. Adrian Newey is getting better with age and there are no signs of his star fading just yet. Aston Martin must be very excited.

Photos courtesy of Motorsport Images.