Newey joins Red Bull at Jerez

As Headmaster Horner stood up to take Assembly at the Red Bull Racing seat of learning this morning, a new boy was introduced to the rest of the ‘pupils’. Monday 9 January marks the arrival of Adrian Newey to strengthen the team’s already impressive technical line-up.

Joining as Chief Technical Officer, Newey starts work the day before the team’s 2006 challenger, the RB2, takes to the track for its second ever test session at the Jerez circuit in Spain.

“I’m going down to Jerez tomorrow to spend some time with the team and to see the new car,” said Newey, as he unpacked his personal effects onto his shiny new desk (would you believe he still uses an old fashioned drawing board!) “It’ll be nice to escape England in January and to be back at a race track again. I’m also looking forward to hearing the sound of these new V8 engines for the first time.”

On his first day Newey will tackle all the usual novelties of a new ‘school’ as matron checks that his name tags are sewn in to all his clothing and Headmaster Horner asks for the week’s dinner money.

At his last school Newey was often top of the class and represented it with his innovative designs for playground cars, which often won the Mosley-Ecclestone Trophy, also known as the Formula One World Championship.

“On a serious note,” added Newey. “I expect to spend my initial period with the team observing how things are done here, getting to know people and finding my feet in this new environment. The technical team is very strong and has a good reputation, so my aim at the start will simply be to understand how Red Bull Racing operates.”