Adrian Newey is one of the biggest enigmas in motorsport. His sheer prowess at designing successful F1 cars is unmatched by his competitors, and Aston Martin reserve driver Felipe Drugovich has revealed the extent to which he has conversed with the design genius.
Newey is currently hard at work at the Silverstone-based Aston Martin factory, developing the team’s challenger for the upcoming season in line with F1’s new 2026 regulations.
Delivering a world championship-winning car next season will mark the third successive set of regulations that the British designer has proved to be successful in.
Widely hailed as one of the greatest minds in the history of the sport, Newey’s designs have won 14 drivers’ and 12 constructors’ titles and 223 Grands Prix over more than three decades of designs.
Fernando Alonso is hoping to be the next beneficiary of the 66-year-old’s mind for aerodynamics, previously stating that next season could potentially be his last as a Formula 1 driver if he manages to clinch his elusive third world title.
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Felipe Drugovich reveals he has only spoken to Adrian Newey once since he joined Aston Martin
Part of Newey’s clinical ability to produce front-running machinery is down to the hard work he puts in at whatever factory he is working at. Mika Hakkinen once said that McLaren’s appointment of Newey in 1997 was the “happiest moment” of his F1 career, above his two world titles.
In a recent interview with the Daily Express, Aston Martin reserve driver Felipe Drugovich noted how he has had minimal contact with Newey since he joined the team at the start of the season due to the fact that the 66-year-old is constantly focused on the job at hand.
“All the contact that I had with him was in Silverstone, when he went to the track,” Drugovich told the British newspaper. “I presented myself, and I said, ‘Nice to meet you’, and that was all the contact I had. And I think it was everything I ever spoke to him.
“But I think that’s also a good thing, though, because he is really focused on what he’s doing. He’s not really talking to anyone in the team.
“No one knows what he’s doing. I mean, everyone knows what he’s doing, but he’s not actually, you know, sharing with anyone, which is good, you know, he’s actually very focused on that. And because of that, I also expect Aston [Martin] to do pretty well next year.”
Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de la Rosa recently revealed how Newey has stunned colleagues at the Silverstone factory with how late he manages to leave the office on a daily basis.
The former F1 driver noted how he is constantly the last person to leave the factory in his attempts to take the team to the “next level”.
READ MORE: Fernando Alonso has seen something ‘mystical’ from Adrian Newey behind the scenes at Aston Martin
Red Bull have suffered from the absence of Adrian Newey since his departure from the team last year
Newey’s exit from Red Bull, a team he spent nearly 20 years with, came at a crucial time in the current life-cycle of Formula 1 regulations.
After delivering eight separate cars that were capable of winning a title, the Austrian constructor was left on the back foot once the 66-year-old’s exit was confirmed last year.
His former team are currently developing their power unit completely in-house for the very first time ahead of the new regulations last year, and early benchmarks suggest Red Bull’s engine won’t be as competitive as that of their rivals.
Whilst Newey’s forte isn’t the engine side of things, the synergy between the aerodynamics and power unit is crucial in determining a good balance on the car.
They both go hand in hand when it comes to delivering an overall package that is good enough to compete for race wins.
Alex Jacques highlighted how Newey thrives under new regulations, and the commentator also believes that Red Bull are yet to feel the wrath of his absence from the team, which will be present in the performance of the RB22 next year.