Adrian Newey, one of the greatest F1 designers, discusses his dominance in 2023, his thought-processes when designing cars, his passion for designing, and the origins of his competitiveness. He also talks about Hakkinen's driving abilities, the aftermath of the 1994 crash, and the enjoyment of designing F1 cars.
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Quick takeaways
Red Bull Racing's dominance in 2023 is attributed to the team's ability to consistently finish races near the front, despite the challenges of race dynamics.
The speaker's competitive nature and fear of failure have been driving forces behind their success in Formula One.
The speaker's early experiences as a child, including building model cars and sketching designs, shaped their interest in becoming a designer in motorsport.
Deep dives
Unprecedented Success in 2023
In 2023, the speaker discusses their biggest run of success in Formula One, achieving a level of consistency they've never experienced before. Despite the perception of smooth sailing, the speaker highlights the challenges of race dynamics, emphasizing the difficulty of consistently finishing races with both cars near the front due to factors like reliability, accidents, strategy, and performance. The speaker attributes their success to the entire team's efforts and acknowledges the team's ability to capitalize on the position of being a front-runner.
Motivation and Competitive Mindset
The speaker reflects on their motivations in Formula One, describing a competitive nature and a fear of failure as driving forces behind their success. They express the desire to capitalize on opportunities when the team is in a winning position and maximize their achievements. The speaker also shares an early experience from school where they felt the need to prove themselves, contributing to their competitive mindset. They discuss the importance of self-confidence and the impact of being a competitive person in the pit lane.
Influence of Early Experiences
The speaker shares their early experiences as a child, including building model cars, sketching designs, and using their father's workshop to create 1:2 scale models. These experiences provided valuable practice in turning ideas into 3D objects and helped shape the speaker's early interest in becoming a designer in motorsport. Additionally, the speaker talks about their decision to pursue a degree in aeronautics and astronautics, citing the belief that racing cars were closer to aircraft than other forms of engineering. These early experiences and choices contributed to the speaker's eventual success in the sport.
The development of CAD systems
The podcast discussion highlights the evolution of computer-aided design (CAD) systems in the field of engineering. In the early stages, CAD systems were mechanical and required a lot of effort to incorporate designs. Over time, CAD systems have become more advanced, allowing designers to draw subconsciously. The speaker mentions personal experience in trying to learn CAD but ultimately giving up due to the lack of natural drawing ability.
The impact of computing power on car design
The podcast emphasizes the significant role of computing power in revolutionizing car design. The advent of simulation tools and increased computing power has resulted in a more thorough understanding of cars. This has allowed for better-informed design decisions based on extensive simulations. The speaker reflects on the early years of car design, where resources, team sizes, and design knowledge were more limited. The speaker acknowledges that the combination of computing power and simulation tools has been the most significant revolution in motor racing.
This episode of F1 Beyond The Grid is presented by Paramount+. Explore the full mountain of entertainment on offer at Paramount+ today and find your next favourite show at paramountplus.com
Adrian Newey is one of the greatest Formula 1 designers of all time.
During his time at Williams, McLaren and Red Bull Racing, Newey’s cars have won 12 Constructors’ titles and seven different drivers have become World Champion in his masterpieces.
More than 40 years on from the start of his career, he’s created the championship-winning Red Bull that has completely obliterated its opposition and ripped up the history books in 2023.
Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Adrian explains why they’ve been so dominant this year and the thought-processes he goes through when designing an F1 car. He reflects on how and when his passion for designing began, where his competitiveness comes from, why he’s had so much success over a long period of time, and much more.
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