Adrian Neweys stock as a Formula 1 designer is at an all-time high, but he could pen a road car in the not-too-distant future Red Bull Racing confirmed during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend that it has retained the services of design guru Adrian Newey, who had been linked with a big-money move away from Formula 1s reigning title holders. It seems, however, that Newey might not necessarily be a regular fixture on the F1 pit wall in subsequent seasons. Hes been a critic of the Formula 1 technical regulations, which place tight constraints on the kind of innovation he specialises in. Whats more, hes apparently expressed a desire to work on other projects for Red Bull Technology, a subsidiary company that currently builds the chassis of the F1 machines. Something that might occupy his time could be developing a Red Bull road car, something which might give him more freedom than F1. Its a scenario which could draw a modern parallel with Gordon Murrays work on the McLaren F1 in the 1990s. This development wouldnt come as a total surprise – back in 2012 Red Bull Racing chief Christian Horner told Autocar that road cars were on the agenda for his Milton Keynes company, which is keen to spread its capabilities far beyond F1. So what kind of road car might Newey create, given a free hand? At first, you might imagine that it would be an absolutely cutting-edge design, perhaps mildly inspired by the Red Bull X1, a fictional car created by Neweys fertile imagination for the Gran Turismo 5 computer game. But then you have to take into account that Newey is a keen racer and appreciator of classic sports cars, so you might deduce that the looks of said machine would also feature some styling cues from cars he admires, such as the Ford GT40 and Jaguar E-type. Nevertheless, youd imagine lightweight materials would play their part – including carbonfibre made by the same Red Bull technicians who build the F1 cars. Maybe it would go down McLarens route of creating a stiff, light, carbonfibre monocoque around which to build the vehicle. Red Bull Racing has a close technical partnership with Infiniti, so Newey would undoubtedly look to the Japanese firms engine range for motive power. Perhaps such a car could borrow the hybrid powertrain that we expect to feature in the next-generation Nissan GT-R. Mind you, Neweys appreciation of classic racing cars would make sure the emphasis was on sublime balance and handling rather than brutish power figures. And who better to hone the handling characteristics of Neweys car than four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel? After all, hes already been involved in an Infiniti road car project and could play a key role in honing the car, as Ayrton Senna did with the original Honda NSX. One thing is for sure – Newey wouldnt be satisfied from simply following the norm and producing yet another sports car. Freed from the shackles of the Formula 1 rule book, hed no doubt set his mind to coming up with truly innovative design and technology. So what would you like to see from an Adrian Newey road car?
Posted on: Mon, 09 Jun 2014 13:43:01 +0000
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