Legendary F1 engineer Adrian Newey has revealed that he will remain involved in Red Bull’s ambitious RB17 hypercar project even after he leaves the team for Aston Martin in early 2025. Known for revolutionizing Formula 1 design and securing multiple championships with Red Bull, Newey is now set to transition into a new role as Managing Technical Partner at Aston Martin. Despite this shift, Newey remains deeply invested in the RB17 hypercar project, which is Red Bull’s first in-house venture into the automotive world beyond the racetrack.
In a candid interview on the High Performance Podcast, Newey shared his passion for the RB17 and explained how, even after stepping back from Red Bull’s Formula 1 team, he has been fully committed to the hypercar project.
“I’ve been out of the Formula 1 team really since after Suzuka, but I’ve still been working hard on the RB17 track car,” Newey said. It’s a side project, a passion project, really, which I’ve hugely enjoyed because it’s something just a little bit different to Formula 1.”
Despite his departure from Red Bull’s F1 operations, Newey intends to continue guiding the hypercar’s development remotely. He also plans to stay involved when the RB17 begins its track testing next summer, though his involvement will be more hands-off once he officially joins Aston Martin.
The RB17, designed to push the boundaries of automotive performance, was first unveiled during the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed. It’s a groundbreaking project for Red Bull, and Newey’s expertise has been central to its evolution.
Newey admitted that part of his decision to leave Red Bull stemmed from a sense of staleness in his F1 role. After more than a decade of domination, including seven Drivers’ Championships and six Constructors’ titles, Newey felt it was time for a fresh challenge.
“You start feeling as if you’re going through the motions,” Newey explained. “I wasn’t waking up in the middle of the night with fresh ideas for the F1 car, but I was doing that with the RB17. That’s when I knew I needed a new challenge.”
His decision to move on from Red Bull is as much about personal growth as it is about team development. Newey believes that Red Bull’s engineering team has reached a level of maturity that will allow them to continue thriving without him.
“The team’s reached a good level of maturity,” Newey said. “I’ve done my bit. I think the guys felt as if perhaps they needed to show they could do it on their own, so I thought, ‘Okay, let’s give them the chance and give myself a new challenge.’”
Newey’s move to Aston Martin is expected to bring a fresh wave of innovation to Lawrence Stroll’s team. While his new role will give him greater leadership responsibilities and allow him to shape Aston Martin’s future, his heart still beats for the RB17—a project that symbolizes his love for engineering and innovation.
As Newey transitions to Aston Martin, he leaves behind an indelible legacy at Red Bull. His continued work on the RB17 signals that, even as he shifts gears, his drive to push the limits of automotive performance remains unwavering.
