Red Bull genius criticizes the new Formula 1: "Wrong direction"

Created: 05/19/2022, 14:37

By: Michael Haug

Red Bull designer Adrian Newey criticizes the new Formula 1 cars and the entire automotive industry.

He explains what needs to change.

Munich – For many observers, Formula 1 will be more fun in the 2022 season than it has been for a long time.

With the exception of the previous season, there was a great deal of Mercedes dominance with the previous rules, with only a few overtaking manoeuvres.

Both seem to change in the 2022 season.

Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Ferrari are fighting closely for the lead, and the action is noticeably picking up, at least on some tracks.

Adrian Newey works as a designer at Red Bull Racing, also due to the recent two victories of Red Bull star Max Verstappen (Formula 1 driver's ranking) he should like the new rules.

Or maybe not?

Adrian Newey: The numerous successes of the star designer

Newey has been working in Formula 1 for over 30 years. The 63-year-old Briton has an outstanding record: eleven drivers won the Formula 1 title in racing cars he designed, and his team won the constructors' championship ten times!

With Williams he dominated F1 in the 90s, moving to McLaren at the end of the decade.

As a result, Mika Häkkinen immediately won his two world titles in a McLaren in 1998 and 1999.

Newey also played a key role in Sebastian Vettel's successes.

Formula 1: Red Bull designer doubts more exciting Formula 1

Back to the present: Newey has some understanding of the new rules.

“I think the principle of helping cars to overtake by reducing the sensitivity of the following car to the one in front is fine.

I think it helps to be able to overtake a bit better.

I don't think it's a significant change, but it will help a little," he said in an interview with

.

Red Bull team manager Jonathan Wheatley (left) talks to Chief Technology Officer Adrian Newey (right) in Miami.

© IMAGO/Carl Bingham

"If you make such a significant rule change, which inevitably brings with it many more changes, then it's probably going to spread the field further in the early seasons," he even believes.

Formula 1: Newey brings out the big criticism club

The biggest problem from Newey's point of view is the weight of the race cars.

“In just a few years, the weight limit has increased from a low 600 kg and 30-40 kg of ballast on board to cars of 800 kg and more.

And we're all working like crazy to meet the current minimum weight requirement.

In short, the cars have gotten bigger and heavier and not particularly aerodynamically efficient because they have a lot of air resistance,” explains Newey.

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The former 24 Hours of Le Mans competitor doesn't see Formula 1's problem in a vacuum.

"Obviously this wrong direction is the same as the general automotive industry has been going in lately: bigger and heavier cars and people's obsession with whether they drive on batteries or on gas."

According to media reports, Newey's own team had the biggest weight problems before the start of the season and demanded a further increase in the minimum weight.

The designer would like to see “smaller, lighter and more energy-efficient cars” in the future and sees no safety problem in this.

On the contrary: Newey observes a “self-reinforcing problem.

The heavier the car, the stronger it needs to be.”

Formula 1 makes a stop in Barcelona.

We follow the sixth race of the season in the live ticker.

The race starts on Sunday at 3 p.m.

All broadcast dates of the current season can be found here.