Red Bull’s decision to change from Renault engines to Honda has given chief designer Adrian Newey fresh motivation, says Helmut Marko.
The high-regarded Briton, who designed championship-winning cars for Williams, McLaren before Red Bull, has been stepping back his involvement in recent years, taking on new challenges in boat racing and working on the Aston Martin Valkyrie.
However, with the Milton Keynes-based team believing a change in engine supplier can make the difference in fighting for more title success, that in turn has relaunched Newey’s interest, according to the Red Bull advisor.
“Newey doesn’t want a normal working day anymore,” Marko was quoted by F1i.com. “He is working for us on a daily allowance.
“He was very fascinated and interested in the Valkyrie project. You always need new tasks for him. If Newey knows that you have no chance with the engine, then you don’t have the same Newey as now.
“He was at the Honda Development Centre in Sakura [in December]. We’ve found a way to meet his personal needs. It brings value to the team for us.”
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This year is the final year of Newey’s contract with Red Bull, however, Marko is hopeful that the planned overhaul in F1 regulations for 2021 can also provide some impetus for the Briton to stay on.
“Newey’s a crucial factor. When the new aerodynamic rules came [in 2017], we were completely off. By Barcelona we had a competitive car again,” said the Austrian.
“That’s Newey. He sees what’s not right, even in the design stage, without all the technical data. He can tell you: ‘That won’t work’. He doesn’t have a computer – he feels right at home in his office! He just has a big drawing board.
“Another person translates it into the computer language so that the others can understand it. [But] what he designs is 95% correct.”