Lawrence Stroll, the owner of the Aston Martin Formula 1 team, has praised Red Bull’s Chief Technical Officer, Adrian Newey, as a “unicorn” for his unparalleled achievements in the sport. Newey’s car designs have led to an astonishing 23 Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles. Even Lewis Hamilton, a long-time rival of Mercedes, has expressed his admiration for Newey’s work in the new ground effect era of Formula 1. As the Red Bull RB19 is expected to add to his impressive record this season, it is a fitting time to reflect on the cars that have brought Newey the most success. This article focuses on the percentage of wins in a season, given the fluctuating number of races each year. The list demonstrates Newey’s undeniable talent for producing exceptional cars, including some from the most recent season.
Let’s take a look at the Top 5 Formula One cars designed by Adrian Newey.
Number 5. Williams FW15C
In 1993, Williams team principal Frank Williams and renowned designer Adrian Newey collaborated on the highly anticipated successor to the dominant FW14B, which had secured the previous year’s championship. However, due to a disagreement over number one status, reigning champion Nigel Mansell had moved to IndyCar, leaving Alain Prost and Damon Hill as the team’s drivers. Despite this setback, the FW15C proved to be the top contender in Formula 1, building on the success of its predecessor. Prost and Hill secured 15 pole positions out of 16 races between them, with Ayrton Senna taking the only exception in the season finale in Adelaide.
Prost won seven of the first 10 races and clinched his fourth and final title in a commanding style, while Hill took three victories towards the end of the season. The FW15C featured all the “driver aids” of its predecessor, along with a yellow “push-to-pass” button that lowered the car through the active suspension and reduced drag to increase top speed. While these “driver aids” were banned in 1994, Williams maximized their technological advances while they were still allowed.
Number 4. Red Bull RB7
In 2010, Red Bull was embroiled in a fierce battle for dominance, but the following season proved to be a much more dominant affair, especially for Sebastian Vettel. The introduction of Pirelli tires, the ban on double diffusers, and the confidence gained from winning his first title seemed to propel the German driver to new heights in 2011, and the RB7 proved to be a worthy successor to its predecessor.
The car’s quality and consistency were evident throughout the year, with only one retirement each for drivers Mark Webber and Vettel, and never finishing outside the top five when they did finish a race. Vettel finished off the podium only once all season, at P4 in Germany. This level of dominance was truly remarkable.
Number 3. Red Bull RB9
The RB7 may have been dominant, but Vettel’s career hit its lowest point during the 2013 season with the RB9. Vettel, who often named his chassis, christened his RB9 base as “Hungry Heidi” as he aimed for his fourth consecutive title. The season saw several remarkable moments in Formula 1 history.
At the Malaysian Grand Prix, the “Multi 21” controversy erupted when Vettel ignored team orders and overtook Webber, which became a win but also a low point for both the driver and the team. However, what happened after the summer break was truly incredible.
Vettel’s control over the RB9 was exceptional, and he drove to an impressive nine consecutive victories to end the season, earning his fourth World Championship title and bidding farewell to the naturally aspirated V8 era in style. With four consecutive Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships, it was an impressive way to conclude that set of regulations.
Number 2. Williams FW18
The FW18, one of Newey’s most successful cars and undoubtedly one of the most successful in Formula 1 history, propelled Damon Hill to the championship title at the end of the season.
The FW18’s incredible speed, in the hands of Hill and Jacques Villeneuve, enabled Williams to clinch the Constructors’ Championship with four races to go.
Throughout the season, the Williams drivers dominated the field with 12 poles, 12 wins, and 11 fastest laps from 16 races. The private battle between Hill and Villeneuve was always at the forefront of the season, culminating in Hill’s championship victory at Suzuka.
After the FW18’s success, Newey left Williams to join McLaren, having secured an impressive 59 race victories and 78 pole positions during his time with the team. Not a bad track record, to say the least.
Number 1. Red Bull RB18
The RB18 is the most recent and most successful car on this list, having won the championship title in the 2022 season. As Newey’s university thesis was focused on ground effect aerodynamics, he had a solid foundation to design a top-tier Formula 1 car – and the RB18 was no exception.
Despite Ferrari’s F1-75 being a fierce competitor for most of the season, the RB18 and Verstappen’s driving prowess proved to be a winning combination. Verstappen clinched his second World Championship in record-breaking style, winning an astonishing 15 races – the most ever by a driver in a single Formula 1 season. Perez also contributed to the team’s success with two victories in Monaco and Singapore.
When everything came together, including the car, strategy, race pace, and driver performance – which happened more o
