“Newey is a fundamental factor in winning or losing,” Jean Alesi believes Red Bull CTO will be the deciding element in 2023
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Adrian Newey and Christian Horner (credits: planetf1.com)
Red Bull CTO, Adrian Newey has been at the helm of Red Bull’s technical program since 2006. Before that he played an instrumental part in securing race wins and championship titles for Mclaren and Williams. Newey is often regarded as one of the most successful engineers in Formula One, having won 11 Constructors’ titles with 3 different teams.
The 2022 Formula One season started with a seemingly dominant Ferrari challenger. As time passed, Red Bull caught on and Ferrari faded to being second fastest with Mercedes struggling to play catch-up due to issues of their own. By mid-season, Red Bull was clearly the fastest car on the grid. Max Verstappen went on to become World Champion with 4 races to spare.
During the initial few races of the 2022, a closely contested championship season was expected. This was due to the Ferrari being a class apart and driver Charles Leclerc being in the form of his career. Notably, Charles Leclerc won 2 races early on and cemented a healthy lead over Verstappen. Although many believe the 2023 season to be dependent on the car and it’s designer as opposed to driver ability.
Jean Alesi believes title battle will be between Ferrari and Adrian Newey
Former F1 driver, Jean Alesi is of the opinion that the 2023 season will be a contest between Ferrari and Newey. In a recent interview, Alesi said “You have to consider [as Ferrari], I think, two competitors, Red Bull, which is currently the absolute leader in Formula 1 and is incredibly strong in every field. Also, Mercedes. They are getting stronger, especially after Russell’s victory in Brazil. I don’t think they will make a mistake twice in designing a car.”
“If we really look at how things stand, the real factor to consider is Adrian Newey. Ever since F1 announced that there were new rules and engineers were given freedom, Newey has been making a difference. Adrian Newey has become the decisive factor, because he is able like no other to keep improving the car during the season, even if it’s only small changes, That’s why I don’t think it will be a battle between Verstappen and Leclerc, but fundamentally between Newey and Ferrari.” said Alesi.
While many in the motorsport community share Alesi’s view on Adrian, many also believe it is unfair to credit the entirety of a team’s success on the car. Ultimately, it is the driver who makes the difference. Although the start of the F1 season is still a few months away, fans seemingly can not wait for racing action to get underway and witness their favorite drivers compete for the ultimate glory.
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Varad Joshi
(940 Articles Published)