Thread by @JunaidSamodien_

#AMuS Adrian Newey had sharply criticized the new rules in advance. Meanwhile, Red Bull's star designer has changed his mind. The new cars demand more from the engineers than expected and one concept surprised even an old hand like Newey.

[STORY THREAD]

Adrian Newey has been working in Formula 1 since 1980. He came to Red Bull in 2006 via the Fittipaldi, March, Williams and McLaren stations. During his time, the 63-year-old Englishman witnessed eight major regulatory reforms.

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The 2022 one, he says, was the biggest since 1983. Because it completely turned car aerodynamics on its head and dug up a principle that was banned in 1982.

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When the new rules were drafted, the world champion maker couldn't hide his disappointment: "When I first read the rules two years ago, I was really frustrated. They looked extremely restrictive."

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But one of the biggest critics of the 2022 regulations almost became a fan: "I have to admit that I had to change my mind working on these cars. The chassis and the front wing move in a very narrow framework, but then there are also areas with a surprising amount of freedom."

"These include the sidepods and the floor . The different sidepod shapes are also easy for fans to distinguish. That's a good thing."

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Today he finds it even more challenging to work on the cars than in the last few years of the expired regulations: "It's more exciting because the cars are so new. It's a steep learning curve for all of us to go through."

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"Last year's Cars were the product of a long development process. The regulations had been in place for ages and although there were always changes to the rules, everything worked on the same principle."

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Newey believes the rules have achieved their goal. If the drivers admit that it's easier to follow behind and that overtaking is possible again, then it must be true.

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The concern that one team would interpret the rules better than all the others and disappear on the horizon has also not been fulfilled. Even though Red Bull won 17 of 22 races.

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The opponents have probably also tripped over their own feet. "In the beginning, with us and Ferrari, there were two teams at the same level, and towards the end of the season Mercedes was getting stronger. To be honest, I was expecting bigger gaps."

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The numbers prove Newey right. Despite the fragmentation of the field, the time intervals have shrunk significantly compared to before. At Austin, Suzuka or Abu Dhabi, the Q1 delta from first to last was between 1.4 and 2.0 seconds.

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For the fact that a Ferrari with completely different sidepods was practically as fast as the Red Bull, Newey has a surprising answer ready: "That means that none of us is absolutely right and there has to be something better."

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"You can do things like wings or never isolate the sidepods. Everything only works as a package. A Ferrari sidepod will not fit our floor and vice versa. There is always an interaction between these elements."

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The senior among the Formula 1 designers had expected that the first attempt would throw several solutions onto the market. That was already the case in 1983. But he didn't have a concept in mind.

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"The Mercedes was a real surprise. We had overlooked this loophole." Nevertheless, he does not believe that Mercedes will trigger a copy wave with its unusual car.

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Newey doesn't mean that Mercedes has reached an impasse. "It's difficult to judge from the outside. The Mercedes has gotten better and better over the course of the year. To be honest, we don't have the time to look at the concept in detail."

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"Under a budget cap you can no longer afford this luxury. That's why you step first the paths that you think will bring the most profit. With the Mercedes, it will be the case that everyone will only reach for the copying pen when the concept suddenly becomes a lasting success."

According to Newey, it is not yet possible to say how many of the concepts shown will ultimately survive. The cars are still too new for that.

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Red Bull will therefore not embark on any experiments either: "We will continue to develop our concept because we know it best. But I don't dare say whether our way is the best. It is quite possible that someone else with a better idea around the corner."

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The problem with forecasts is that no one knows the destination. "None of us yet know where we will end up when developing our own concepts. Perhaps another one has much greater development potential that is still lagging behind today."

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Newey also does not want to rule out that someone will find a solution that no one has on their radar at the moment. "Think of the double diffuser. That loophole in the transition from floor to step was always there. It just wasn't discovered."

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