Adrian Newey says Formula 1 continues to ’stimulate’ him.
For many years, Formula 1 insiders and fans have speculated about how much longer one of the sport’s most iconic designers ever would remain motivated.
"I keep asking myself that," the 62-year-old smiled to Auto Motor und Sport.
Although design freedoms for the 2022 cars are much more limited than at present, Newey admits that next year’s regulations mark a "huge" change for Formula 1.
"For me, it’s the biggest rule change since the Venturi cars were banned and the flat floor was introduced in 1983," he said.
"Every aspect of the car changes with the exception of the power unit."
Nonetheless, the famous Red Bull designer is not sure how many more years he has left in his fuel tank.
"If you had asked me 10 or 15 years ago if I would still be here today, I would have said no. But I’m here," said Newey.
"I don’t spend as many hours in the office as I used to and make sure that my life outside of Formula 1 is not neglected. I also keep myself awake with other projects like the Aston Martin Valkyrie, and there are a few other things in the pipeline that I can’t talk about yet.
"I love designing things and working on a car with my colleagues and the drivers. And I was lucky in my career to be able to design a wide variety of cars over many eras. I always remained true to this passion.
"I was never interested in becoming a team principal or a manager," said Newey. "Yes, I’ve been around for a long time, but I also know that I’d be bored if I sat around at home all day gardening.
"I need something that stimulates me."