Has Adrian Newey changed since his McLaren days?

Aston Martin’s recruitment of Adrian Newey has been one of the defining storylines in the previous F1 season, and few people are better placed to assess the significance of his arrival than Pedro de la Rosa.

The former McLaren driver worked closely with Newey two decades ago and now collaborates with him again at Aston Martin — a rare vantage point that spans two eras of the sport and two phases of Newey’s legendary career.

Asked whether Newey had changed since their McLaren days, de la Rosa was unequivocal. “Well, I mean, the only difference really is that I’m not driving his cars anymore, unfortunately. But I see no difference whatsoever on Adrian. He’s working flat out. His work ethic is outstanding.”

What struck him then still strikes him now: Newey’s instinctive trust in the driver’s feel, even in an era dominated by data.

“He’s one of those engineers that always listens to the driver more than anyone I’ve ever worked with, which is really beautiful to see as a former driver,” de la Rosa said.

“Because nowadays in this modern world where data is taking over, you sometimes talk with an engineer and they’re looking at the screen, they’re looking at your face, and they don’t know if it’s the data right or you are right. With Adrian, he’s just writing your comments in a notebook.”

De la Rosa illustrated the point with a vivid memory from the 2005 Australian Grand Prix, when he drove McLaren’s third car in Friday practice.

“I did a few laps and he asked me one only question. He said, ‘Why can’t you go any faster into Turn 1?’ And I said, ‘Well, I go into Turn 1, I turn the wheel and the car just understeers off, so I cannot go any faster.’”

Newey’s response was pure Newey — simple, direct, and rooted in an intuitive understanding of aerodynamics. “He said, ‘Show me how much you steer in that corner, in the apex.’ And I did like this with the hands, more or less. And he said, ‘OK, that’s six degrees.’

"And he said, ‘In the wind tunnel, we cannot go over six degrees, because if we go over six degrees, we cannot turn the car and generate that yaw and steer.’ So, he said, ‘But I have some ideas.’”

What followed is the essence of why Newey is regarded as the greatest designer in Formula One history. “He wrote down, left hand, and then came back to the next race, he had made some changes in the front wing and the car was a lot less steer-sensitive. And that’s Adrian, just listening to the driver. And what makes him special is that actually he delivers.”

For de la Rosa, seeing Newey now at Aston Martin is both professionally energising and personally meaningful. “Anyway, great to see him in the team, really. He’s a great leader and someone that is truly inspirational for all of us and for so many young engineers that have joined Aston Martin.”