While Red Bull started off its team in Formula 1, they specifically targeted Adrian Newey to push their success plan. In fact, despite initial hesitance by Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz, the Austrian team still gave a bumper $6 million salary to the greatest car designer in F1. On the other hand, McLaren boss Ron Dennis, who previously owned the services of Newey, didn’t show much resistance to the latter’s new job. Newey’s article on Business F1 reveals that despite winning multiple championships for the English team, Dennis ordered no gardening leave for him before joining the brand-new F1 outfit.
It was a shock for Newey considering a gardening leave being imposed for prominent engineers before they join a new team has always been a usual practice. In short, it was a message by Dennis that he saw no threat in Red Bull, even though they were making some fancy appointments.
Loading embed tweet https://twitter.com/McLarenF1/status/548392708419891200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Though McLaren wasn’t the only side that had this opinion. Several old teams in the paddock didn’t take Red Bull seriously back then and made fun of the glamor they brought into the sport. For many, it was a team that would be bankrupt in a couple of years.
Ron Dennis eased Adrian Newey’s transition
Newey also reveals that he was told to leave the McLaren office effective immediately when he pushed Dennis to make his departure announcement sooner. Despite the sour ending, Newey was able to start his new work as soon as possible and make Red Bull a force to reckon with.
“Having Frog-marched me out of the office, McLaren raised no protest when it came to me joining Red Bull. before my contract with them ended. There was to be no gardening leave this time. McLaren didn’t view Red Bull as a threat. Therefore, they weren’t worried about releasing me early,” reveals Newey.
Dennis couldn’t have been more wrong. Within five years, Red Bull ousted both Ferrari and McLaren in the championship fight and won four world titles in a row. Even now, Red Bull is a dominant force, whereas McLaren is just a shadow of its glorious past.
Adrian Newey is aiming for more success
Newey has gained immense success at Red Bull, more than anywhere else, and even after that, he is yet to stop. Starting with the new aero regulations enforced in 2022, the Brit has proved why he is regarded as the greatest aero engineer in F1.
With the new regulations, Red Bull emerged again as the most dominant force. The Milton-Keynes easily won the 2022 championship and is on the route to winning the 2023 title, too, with no threat in sight.
Loading embed tweet https://twitter.com/ESPNF1/status/1652632923034595328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Mateschitz is no longer in this world, but the foundation he laid with his early appointments remains his legacy. And Newey is undoubtedly one of them. Despite getting lucrative offers from everywhere, Newey remained committed to Red Bull and ensured his team won.