Adrian Newey expressed the “special feeling” he had after driving F1 legend Niki Lauda’s 1975 Ferrari. This was the car that the latter won his first world championship with.
Niki Lauda dominated the 1975 season, battling the grid in his Ferrari 312T. He secured an impressive five victories out of the twelve races he entered. This turned out to be one of the most reliable and strong machines on the grid at the time. Lauda also won the first of his three world championships with the car.
Recently, F1’s aero wizard, Adrian Newey, had the chance to take the legendary car out for a spin at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England. Pumping out close to 500 horsepower with a flat-12 engine was seemingly overwhelming for the 65-year-old, as he described it when talking to the media:
“Lovely. I mean to be driving Niki’s old car, his championship winning car is so special, it really is,” he said. “I knew Niki quite well and so to be in here sitting in the same seat and just trying to think what he must have been experiencing and how he’s prepared himself before the start and everything really special,” Newey stated.
“It’s absolutely amazing and a very fissing tribute to him,” he concluded.
"To be driving Niki's old car, his championship-winning car, is so special" ❤
Adrian Newey on driving Niki Lauda's Ferrari at Goodwood 🏎 pic.twitter.com/NkqdVizx19
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) July 13, 2024
Despite never having driven in an F1 race, Newey has managed to establish himself as one of motorsport’s legends. His car designs over the years, have been flawless, and when paired with the right engine and driver, his creations have asserted dominance over the grid.
He has been a huge asset to Red Bull Racing since joining the team in 2006. They managed to win eight driver’s and seven constructor’s world championships during the period. Despite his successful stint with the team, he announced his departure a couple of months ago. However, his final project with the team turned out to be something absolutely extraordinary.
A look at Adrian Newey’s final creation with Red Bull: The RB17 Hypercar
After announcing his departure from the team, Adrian Newey was able to shift his focus to Red Bull’s hypercar, the RB17. The extremely powerful machinery was unveiled earlier at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and is a breathtaking creation.
Adrian Newey, Christian Horner, and Rob Gray pose with RBR’s RB17 (Getty Images)
This blend of luxury and performance is loaded with a 4.5-litre, naturally aspirated V10 engine. It produces 1000 horsepower at 15,000 RPM, topping the car at 350 kph, and for good reasons, is not road-legal. The extreme use of carbon fiber makes it very light.
With only 50 units planned for production, the $6 million Red Bull hypercar has reportedly sold out, according to German publication Auto Motor und Sport.