Marko: "Having a motivated Newey is a big asset"

Helmut Marko insists Red Bull have placed their chief technical officer Adrian Newey in the perfect frame of mind during the winter break. According to Marko, Newey is working overtime on the new design for the RB15 as the team enter a new era with Honda.

“Newey doesn’t want a normal working day anymore. He is working for us on a daily allowance. He was very fascinated and interested in the Valkyrie project," Marko told MN.

“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]. Having a motivated Newey is a big asset. We’ve found a way to meet his personal needs. It brings value to the team for us.”

Newey's car designs have picked up a total of 19 world titles. The bosses at Red Bull have demanded they make Max Verstappen the youngest champion ever in Formula 1. They have two years to do it, and most of the attention is on the new engine, but with new aerodynamic rules, Newey's work is all the more important.

“Newey’s a crucial factor. When the new aerodynamic rules came, we were completely off. By Barcelona, we had a competitive car again. That’s Newey. He sees what’s not right, even in the design stage, without all the technical data," Marko added.

“He can tell you: That won’t work. He doesn’t have a computer – you feel 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.”