For years, Adrian Newey’s legendary red notebook has been a source of intrigue in the Formula 1 paddock. Often spotted clutched in his hands during grid walks and pitlane inspections, the mysterious notebook became synonymous with Red Bull’s dominance during the ground-effect era.
But now, as Newey prepares to leave Red Bull for Aston Martin, the F1 genius has finally revealed what was inside those pages—and how his sharp observations shaped Red Bull’s championship-winning machines.
Newey’s Red Notebook: A Spy Manual or a Playbook for Innovation?
Newey’s scientific approach to aerodynamics has always given him an edge over rivals, but his real secret weapon wasn’t just his deep technical knowledge—it was his incredible ability to analyze competitors on the fly.
“It’s normal to try and look at what other people are up to,” Newey admitted.
He used his infamous notebook to jot down minute details about rival teams’ chassis and aerodynamic updates. But contrary to what many assumed, he wasn’t just copying ideas—he was deciphering their intent.
“Occasionally, I will then take this back to the guys at the factory and say, ‘Look. Notice this? Could be worth copying. Let’s try it on our car, see what they are at.’”
Newey Didn’t Just Copy—He Cracked the Code
While some designers in F1 focus on replicating concepts, Newey’s intellectual curiosity pushed him beyond that. He wasn’t interested in just how other teams made changes—he wanted to know why they made them.
“Other times, I’m using it more to sort of think, ‘Ok, they have gone down this direction. What are they trying to achieve?’”
For Newey, understanding the target goal of an aerodynamic upgrade was far more valuable than knowing the technical method used to achieve it.
This unique approach helped Red Bull stay one step ahead of the competition for most of the ground-effect era.
The Red Bull Downfall: Why Newey’s Magic Couldn’t Hold Off Rivals Forever
Despite Newey’s genius, Red Bull faced serious challenges in the latter part of 2023 and into 2024. McLaren and Ferrari rapidly closed the gap, exposing weaknesses in Red Bull’s development path.
Newey acknowledged that the RB20 chassis became increasingly difficult to drive, particularly for Sergio Perez, who struggled massively against Max Verstappen.
“McLaren in particular, and Ferrari as well, developed their cars rapidly and did a very good job. But late in 2023, Red Bull’s car became increasingly difficult to drive, a trend that continued into 2024. Max could handle that. It didn’t suit him, but he could handle it. Checo couldn’t.”
The performance gap between Verstappen and Perez widened as the Red Bull car’s handling issues intensified. While Verstappen managed to extract maximum performance, Perez’s struggles only magnified Red Bull’s weaknesses.
Can Red Bull Survive Without Newey?
As Formula 1 enters the final year of the ground-effect era in 2025, Red Bull faces an enormous challenge—they must develop a title-winning chassis without Adrian Newey.
With massive personnel changes shaking up the Milton Keynes operation, can Red Bull maintain their dominance—or is Newey’s departure the beginning of the end?
Meanwhile, Aston Martin may have just pulled off the coup of the decade. With Newey set to revolutionize their design philosophy, could Fernando Alonso finally get a championship-contending car in 2026?
The F1 landscape is shifting—and Newey’s legendary red notebook may now hold the key to Aston Martin’s rise.
