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How to Build a Car: The Autobiography of the World’s Greatest Formula 1 Designer
'Adrian has a unique gift for understanding drivers and racing cars. He is ultra competitive but never forgets to have fun. An immensely likeable man.' Damon Hill
The world’s foremost designer in Formula One, Adrian Newey OBE is arguably one of Britain’s greatest engineers and this is his fascinating, powerful memoir.
How to Build a Car explores the story of Adrian’s unrivalled 35-year career in Formula One through the prism of the cars he has designed, the drivers he has worked alongside and the races in which he’s been involved.
A true engineering genius, even in adolescence Adrian’s thoughts naturally emerged in shape and form – he began sketching his own car designs at the age of 12 and took a welding course in his school summer holidays. From his early career in IndyCar racing and on to his unparalleled success in Formula One, we learn in comprehensive, engaging and highly entertaining detail how a car actually works. Adrian has designed for the likes of Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill, David Coulthard, Mika Hakkinen, Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel, always with a shark-like purity of purpose: to make the car go faster. And while his career has been marked by unbelievable triumphs, there have also been deep tragedies; most notably Ayrton Senna’s death during his time at Williams in 1994.
Beautifully illustrated with never-before-seen drawings, How to Build a Car encapsulates, through Adrian’s remarkable life story, precisely what makes Formula One so thrilling – its potential for the total synchronicity of man and machine, the perfect combination of style, efficiency and speed.
401 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2017
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January 14, 2024
This is the memoir of Adrian Newey, the British Formula One engineer who currently is the chief technician of the F1’s Red Bull team.
The memoir is a fun read for all the fans of F1.
Thank you, Chris, for recommending this book to me!
The memoir is a fun read for all the fans of F1.
Thank you, Chris, for recommending this book to me!
October 10, 2023
He's definitely a genius.
We probably wouldn't be pals.
We probably wouldn't be pals.
January 9, 2022
How to look like rock stars instead of looking like a fokking bunch of wankers
November 15, 2017
I've spent this weekend thoroughly engrossed in this account of the infamous Adrian Newey's life with cars. It spans from his earliest childhood memories to his current Formula One career with Redbull Racing / Redbull Advanced Technologies; charting both personal and professional insights with his likeable, firm but fair style.
As a Formula One fan since childhood I was delighted to receive a review copy from the publisher to be able to compare to the many F1 autobiographies and history books I've read across the years; I have to say this is one of my personal favourites as Newey is such an innovator of the sport and has such breadth and history amongst the pivotal teams in the sport that it is packed with detail and such a unique insight. From the early days of Fittipaldi, the internal politics at Williams, Senna's tragic Imola crash, the regulation changes in the sport over the years, highs and lows at McLaren and the evolution of Redbull Racing, the story of Newey's career is told in a clever concept that charts the chapters by each one of his historic car design concepts from the March 83G to the RB8 and formats them as a race track (his early years are "On the Grid", then his career moves are each divided in to "turns" as a track is designed). This concept is inspired; helpful as a historical guide across modern F1 history and good for quick reference if you prefer to dip in and out of the book.
This book would make an ideal purchase for anyone with a love of motorsport, but also any interested in engineering/aerodynamic concepts or design. The illustrations provided for each car are just fantastic and provide such detail about key features, specifically regulation change innovations. There is a lot of technical terminology used but most important concepts are explained within each discussion and there is a handy glossary at the back if anything needs further explanation.
There is so much to love about this book and I have been raving about it to several fellow F1 fans. I found it provided some important opinion on a lot of key issues within the sport that have been talked about over the years (diffusers, KERS, team fallouts) ; to hear Newey's opinion and take on such matters (as he's not typically one of the outspoken people within the sport) was very interesting, and amongst other autobiographies such as Mark Webber's Aussie Grit etc you see a broad picture of what was often left unexplained or given a media spin at the time. I found it fascinating how despite being such an innovator of modern car technology Newey prefers old school drawing by hand to any technical computerised drawings; having an old drawing board that has literally followed him from each role. It is telling how Newey seems discontent with the current state of the sport, a feeling echoed by many fans, and perhaps clearly indicates the divide of direction that has crept up over the past decade.
Want to read
February 9, 2024can someone pls send this book to the ferrari engineers?
Edit 2024/02/09:
APPARENTLY, THERE'S RUMORS ADRIAN MIGHT MOVE TO FERRARI???? PLS BE TRUE, I NEED FERRARI DOMINANCE ERA 🙏🙏🙏🙏
Edit 2024/02/09:
APPARENTLY, THERE'S RUMORS ADRIAN MIGHT MOVE TO FERRARI???? PLS BE TRUE, I NEED FERRARI DOMINANCE ERA 🙏🙏🙏🙏
November 6, 2019
Why did I pick this book?
How to Build a Car was recommended by many of my recommendation sources. When a recently discovered YouTube channel, focused on engineering, suggested the book I decided it was time to check it out.
I'm an Industrial Designer, so the engineering aspect of the book really peaked my interest. The Formula 1 aspect did not particularly speak to me and I had never heard of Newey before.
What the book is about
This is the autobiography of Adrian Newey, apparently the best Formula 1 racecar designer ever. He chronicles his life, starting with early years, studies and then his many years in the racing industry.
My review
It's the largest (in size as well as in volume) book I've read in a while. Not a book you can easily take with you reading in the train.
Luckily, and surprisingly, it was super easy to read and I got through it in no time, not having to take it with me to finish it. Newey has a way of writing which is kinda similar to actual story telling, including getting off track and having to "But, let's get back to the story" interruptions.
Unfortunately that is the most positive I have to say about this book. I was pleasantly surprised it read so well, but I was disappointed the book dives so little into the real engineering aspects. I had hoped to get a deeper understanding of aerodynamics, the systems engineering that goes into a sports car, how to manage such an extended team, etc, etc.
However, we only get a description in the way of; 'I designed a better car the next year and then this and this and this is what happened at the races.' I learned nothing, only that apparently Newey has had many accomplishments and he wants to see that reflected in his salary, and if his cars did not finish first it was due to reliability issues with the engine..
Was disappointed and would not recommend to anyone expecting to learn something from this book. Would however recommend anyone already interested for Formula 1 and people who could use a different perspective on the F1 world, which is not from the driver's perspective.
How to Build a Car was recommended by many of my recommendation sources. When a recently discovered YouTube channel, focused on engineering, suggested the book I decided it was time to check it out.
I'm an Industrial Designer, so the engineering aspect of the book really peaked my interest. The Formula 1 aspect did not particularly speak to me and I had never heard of Newey before.
What the book is about
This is the autobiography of Adrian Newey, apparently the best Formula 1 racecar designer ever. He chronicles his life, starting with early years, studies and then his many years in the racing industry.
My review
It's the largest (in size as well as in volume) book I've read in a while. Not a book you can easily take with you reading in the train.
Luckily, and surprisingly, it was super easy to read and I got through it in no time, not having to take it with me to finish it. Newey has a way of writing which is kinda similar to actual story telling, including getting off track and having to "But, let's get back to the story" interruptions.
Unfortunately that is the most positive I have to say about this book. I was pleasantly surprised it read so well, but I was disappointed the book dives so little into the real engineering aspects. I had hoped to get a deeper understanding of aerodynamics, the systems engineering that goes into a sports car, how to manage such an extended team, etc, etc.
However, we only get a description in the way of; 'I designed a better car the next year and then this and this and this is what happened at the races.' I learned nothing, only that apparently Newey has had many accomplishments and he wants to see that reflected in his salary, and if his cars did not finish first it was due to reliability issues with the engine..
Was disappointed and would not recommend to anyone expecting to learn something from this book. Would however recommend anyone already interested for Formula 1 and people who could use a different perspective on the F1 world, which is not from the driver's perspective.
December 28, 2017
Adrian Newey has been living and breathing cars since he first started sketching them at the age of 12. The roots of this love were seeing his father pottering around in the garage on some project or other. Drawing them was one thing, what he really wanted to do was build them, so a welding course followed one summer holiday. He tried racing karts, having saved to buy one, but even though he enjoyed it, it was not his thing. He worked hard to get into Southampton to do a degree in mechanical engineering, however, the maths was a struggle. Leaving with a 1st, he wrote to Brabham and a lot of the other teams but nothing seemed to be offered until a chance call from Fittipaldi and his interview consisted of a nervous wait while Harvey Postlethwaite took his Ducati for a test ride. He was in the door.
The first car that he was involved with, Newey ended up redesigning the aerodynamics to meet the latest change in regulations. The team folded after the money ran out and he was offered a position at March working on the 83G as well as working on the car for the Daytona 24 hour race. Success in that meant he was seconded to Truesports to help with another Indycar. Then the opportunity beckoned for a place in a Formula 1 team, and he joined Leyton House where he had the chance to design a car from scratch. Other teams noticed his success and soon he was working for Williams on their FW14 to FW18 cars before being poached again by McLaren. Leaving there under a little bit of a cloud, he ended up with the newest team in the paddock, Red Bull. The owner wanted to make a serious investment in the sport to promote the brand and the drink and so began a new era and four world championships.
People are well aware of the drivers who wrestle these cars at 200 mph around some of the fastest circuits in the calendar. There are a few team heads that people can name, but most of the designers, engineers and aerodynamicists are completely unknown. But there is one who is almost a household name, Adrian Newey. To put it frankly he is an engineering genius. He has worked with almost all the big teams, using his wide experience in creating a car that just goes very very fast. These cars have, in the right hands, give some of the best drivers in the world race wins and world championships. I have been an F1 fan since the age of 8. I grew up in Woking, and McLaren has always been my number one team, though their performance in the past few years has not done them any favours. There is plenty of fascinating detail in this book, as Newey writes about some of his personal life as well as lots of information about the cars that he designed and how he solved the particular problems that the constant changes in regulation through up. Definitely a books for the die hard F1 fan.
The first car that he was involved with, Newey ended up redesigning the aerodynamics to meet the latest change in regulations. The team folded after the money ran out and he was offered a position at March working on the 83G as well as working on the car for the Daytona 24 hour race. Success in that meant he was seconded to Truesports to help with another Indycar. Then the opportunity beckoned for a place in a Formula 1 team, and he joined Leyton House where he had the chance to design a car from scratch. Other teams noticed his success and soon he was working for Williams on their FW14 to FW18 cars before being poached again by McLaren. Leaving there under a little bit of a cloud, he ended up with the newest team in the paddock, Red Bull. The owner wanted to make a serious investment in the sport to promote the brand and the drink and so began a new era and four world championships.
People are well aware of the drivers who wrestle these cars at 200 mph around some of the fastest circuits in the calendar. There are a few team heads that people can name, but most of the designers, engineers and aerodynamicists are completely unknown. But there is one who is almost a household name, Adrian Newey. To put it frankly he is an engineering genius. He has worked with almost all the big teams, using his wide experience in creating a car that just goes very very fast. These cars have, in the right hands, give some of the best drivers in the world race wins and world championships. I have been an F1 fan since the age of 8. I grew up in Woking, and McLaren has always been my number one team, though their performance in the past few years has not done them any favours. There is plenty of fascinating detail in this book, as Newey writes about some of his personal life as well as lots of information about the cars that he designed and how he solved the particular problems that the constant changes in regulation through up. Definitely a books for the die hard F1 fan.
October 1, 2019
Мои ожидания были не слишком высокими: ну что может быть в книге с таким названием? Детали того, как сделать переднее крыло на 3% эффективнее? Или просто туманные описания без подробностей, ведь конкуренты могут черпать вдохновение даже в давно отвергнутых проектах?
Нет, в этой книге можно найти гораздо больше, и она на 80% состоит из рассказов о людях, об их мотивации, и о процессах, приносящих результаты. Как можно понять, что команда F1 начинает двигаться к своему закату? (спойлер: увольняться можно в тот момент, когда нанимают стороннего финдиректора или и вовсе ставят на руководящую должность бухгалтера).
В книге подробно описаны наиболее яркие пилоты, с которыми автор сумел взять десять кубков конструкторов и выиграть 154 Гран-При(на 2019 уже больше, разумеется). Чем Сенна заслужил безоговорочное восхищение, у какой команды он на слух сумел определить нелегальное использование трекшн-контроля? Почему о Шумахере сказана всего пара теплых слов? Как пилоты в Вильямс интриговали друг против друга, какие безобидные и не очень фокусы с настройками проворачивали? В чем похожи Льюис Хэмилтон и Кристиан Хорнер? Ньюи не слишком концентрировался на конфликте Феттеля и Уэббера, но в то же время подчеркнул сильные и слабые стороны каждого, иногда настолько подробно, что стали понятные периодические ошибки Феттеля в 2017, приводящие к разворотам.
В несколько меньшем объеме автор прошелся по деталям принятия решений за кулисами F1: почему некоторые команды равнее, чем другие(FIA aka Ferrari International Aid), как команды решали вопрос с Гран-При США в 2005, какими неспортивными методами можно воспользоваться, чтобы улучшить показатели одного гонщика или команды(ухудшив их другим). Очень подробно описаны причины переходов в другие команды, и как принимались итоговые решения(стоит ли уходить в команду, которая уже почти взяла следующий кубок? А если в ней явно происходит борьба между двумя равносильными кланами?). Особенно интересным был отрывок про построение ��оманды Red Bull, когда Хорнеру и Ньюи приходилось бороться со старыми выгоревшими инженерами, договариваться с поставщиками и за три года довести болид из состояния "отваливается всё" в состояние "вот и кубок конструкторов у нас".
Книга не предназначена для введения в аэродинамику, но все же дает понимание того, какие проблемы решаются и какими способами(и как FIA запретит эти способы в следующем сезоне), не говоря уже о реальных чертежах.
Нельзя не упомянуть огромное количество забавных историй(почему Дэвид Кулхард на пьянке к добру не приведет? Что может заставить высший менеджмент команды Ред Булл стоять нетрезвыми в коридоре и подслушивать у двери, приложив к ней стакан?) и в целом об��азцовый английский юмор, особенно в частях, связанных с FIA.
tl;dr: отличная книга, написанная поразительно легким языком, и вероятно первая биография, которой я зачитывался настолько, что ложился на 2 часа позже. Перевернет ли она вашу жизнь? Едва ли. Сможете ли вы применить в своей работе те же подходы? Надеюсь, что нет, выходные штука полезная. Получите ли вы удовольствие от чтения и как минимум несколько моментов "ах ты черт, так вот что там происходило в реальности"? Точно да!
Нет, в этой книге можно найти гораздо больше, и она на 80% состоит из рассказов о людях, об их мотивации, и о процессах, приносящих результаты. Как можно понять, что команда F1 начинает двигаться к своему закату? (спойлер: увольняться можно в тот момент, когда нанимают стороннего финдиректора или и вовсе ставят на руководящую должность бухгалтера).
В книге подробно описаны наиболее яркие пилоты, с которыми автор сумел взять десять кубков конструкторов и выиграть 154 Гран-При(на 2019 уже больше, разумеется). Чем Сенна заслужил безоговорочное восхищение, у какой команды он на слух сумел определить нелегальное использование трекшн-контроля? Почему о Шумахере сказана всего пара теплых слов? Как пилоты в Вильямс интриговали друг против друга, какие безобидные и не очень фокусы с настройками проворачивали? В чем похожи Льюис Хэмилтон и Кристиан Хорнер? Ньюи не слишком концентрировался на конфликте Феттеля и Уэббера, но в то же время подчеркнул сильные и слабые стороны каждого, иногда настолько подробно, что стали понятные периодические ошибки Феттеля в 2017, приводящие к разворотам.
В несколько меньшем объеме автор прошелся по деталям принятия решений за кулисами F1: почему некоторые команды равнее, чем другие(FIA aka Ferrari International Aid), как команды решали вопрос с Гран-При США в 2005, какими неспортивными методами можно воспользоваться, чтобы улучшить показатели одного гонщика или команды(ухудшив их другим). Очень подробно описаны причины переходов в другие команды, и как принимались итоговые решения(стоит ли уходить в команду, которая уже почти взяла следующий кубок? А если в ней явно происходит борьба между двумя равносильными кланами?). Особенно интересным был отрывок про построение ��оманды Red Bull, когда Хорнеру и Ньюи приходилось бороться со старыми выгоревшими инженерами, договариваться с поставщиками и за три года довести болид из состояния "отваливается всё" в состояние "вот и кубок конструкторов у нас".
Книга не предназначена для введения в аэродинамику, но все же дает понимание того, какие проблемы решаются и какими способами(и как FIA запретит эти способы в следующем сезоне), не говоря уже о реальных чертежах.
Нельзя не упомянуть огромное количество забавных историй(почему Дэвид Кулхард на пьянке к добру не приведет? Что может заставить высший менеджмент команды Ред Булл стоять нетрезвыми в коридоре и подслушивать у двери, приложив к ней стакан?) и в целом об��азцовый английский юмор, особенно в частях, связанных с FIA.
tl;dr: отличная книга, написанная поразительно легким языком, и вероятно первая биография, которой я зачитывался настолько, что ложился на 2 часа позже. Перевернет ли она вашу жизнь? Едва ли. Сможете ли вы применить в своей работе те же подходы? Надеюсь, что нет, выходные штука полезная. Получите ли вы удовольствие от чтения и как минимум несколько моментов "ах ты черт, так вот что там происходило в реальности"? Точно да!
June 12, 2022
A very good book for any formula one fan. Extremely interesting and technical. I love the small anecdotes which include Christian Horner getting picked up by bouncers. It’s honestly so good and if you’re a formula one fan I would suggest it.
April 3, 2024
i am confident that i could now build a car that will stop red bull from winning next year.
August 7, 2022
I got into Formula 1 last year from the Netflix show, so this memoir from Red Bull Racing's CTO was a great intro into the tech side of racing. I now know how downforce works!! (Mostly.) There are very cool technical sketches too that give a nice history of the F1 racecar's evolution. The author also mixes in some cringey stories of getting drunk, pranking his engineer bros, and crashing cars. Weird but OK sure!
June 16, 2024
Fittipaldi F1 Team, FORCE, March, Leyton Hoyse, Williams, McLaren y Red Bull tienen en común haber contado con los servicios del genio Adrian Newey. El ingeniero británico, nacido en 1958, es uno de los más exitosos de la historia de la Fórmula 1. Sus creaciones, desde los años 80, siempre fueron competitivas. Desde sus inicios, poco a poco fue ganando experiencia, sumando éxitos y siendo cada vez más prestigioso.
Uno de los primeros éxitos de Newey fue la victoria en las 500 Millas de Indianápolis del equipo March y el título de la Indycar en 1985. En 1988 se convirtió en jefe de diseño de March en la F1 y comenzó una carrera en Europa que sigue sumando triunfos a día de hoy.
A finales del año 2017, el creador de los imbatibles Williams de los 90, de los McLaren de finales de esa década y de los cuatro Red Bull campeones del mundo entre 2010 y 2013, lanzó su autobiografía “Cómo hacer un coche”.
En ella podemos descubrir de forma emocionante cómo funcionan las carreras, los coches de competición y lo que se cuece en el Gran Circo. Lo acompañan imágenes, anécdotas y un sinfín de curiosidades. Además de todo lo que cuenta Newey, es también interesante lo que comenta Fernando Alonso: sus encuentros, incluso sus negociaciones y su rivalidad. Porque Alonso y Newey nunca coincidieron en el mismo equipo, pero se admiraron siempre el uno al otro.
He aprendido mucho, y he ganado empatía hacia este ingeniero. Lejos de ser una persona altiva y pretenciosa, Newey parece que gusta más de ser discreto, trabajar en sus cosas y dedicarse a mejorar el coche. La fama y la exposición pública son el tributo necesario. Lejos de ser un libro muy técnico, tiene varios episodios de humanidad, en la que Newey habla sin miedo de que prefirió un equipo a otro por la situación que pasaba en ese momento con la familia, o porque confiaba más en un piloto que en otro. Me he quedado con la idea de que este señor no es un robot, sino alguien con bastante carisma y humanidad, en definitiva.
Uno de los primeros éxitos de Newey fue la victoria en las 500 Millas de Indianápolis del equipo March y el título de la Indycar en 1985. En 1988 se convirtió en jefe de diseño de March en la F1 y comenzó una carrera en Europa que sigue sumando triunfos a día de hoy.
A finales del año 2017, el creador de los imbatibles Williams de los 90, de los McLaren de finales de esa década y de los cuatro Red Bull campeones del mundo entre 2010 y 2013, lanzó su autobiografía “Cómo hacer un coche”.
En ella podemos descubrir de forma emocionante cómo funcionan las carreras, los coches de competición y lo que se cuece en el Gran Circo. Lo acompañan imágenes, anécdotas y un sinfín de curiosidades. Además de todo lo que cuenta Newey, es también interesante lo que comenta Fernando Alonso: sus encuentros, incluso sus negociaciones y su rivalidad. Porque Alonso y Newey nunca coincidieron en el mismo equipo, pero se admiraron siempre el uno al otro.
He aprendido mucho, y he ganado empatía hacia este ingeniero. Lejos de ser una persona altiva y pretenciosa, Newey parece que gusta más de ser discreto, trabajar en sus cosas y dedicarse a mejorar el coche. La fama y la exposición pública son el tributo necesario. Lejos de ser un libro muy técnico, tiene varios episodios de humanidad, en la que Newey habla sin miedo de que prefirió un equipo a otro por la situación que pasaba en ese momento con la familia, o porque confiaba más en un piloto que en otro. Me he quedado con la idea de que este señor no es un robot, sino alguien con bastante carisma y humanidad, en definitiva.
November 21, 2021
Now it is finaly starting to make a little more sense with all the inovations that took place, why is the sport so thrilling and what can be the details winning championships. Newey is a genius in his own sport, but as this season is showing us so far, you have to at least take a glimpse at the other point of view, the one that for the past 7 years did not give them sleep, nor the chance for what it seemed. Looking forward to reading about R.Brawn and building Mercedes!
October 2, 2023
i was overwhelmingly impressed by his ability to explain f1 car components/design choices he made with words & technical drawings (but equally put off by some of the off-hand remarks he made about drivers/his family/different figures in f1:’))
August 7, 2024
This is the famous F1 designer's autobiography, ghost written by Andrew Holmes, with the brilliant ideas for the name of the book and the chapters by Jack Fogg.
It's also the first book I bought in hardcover. I don't prefer it as it isn't that portable, but it's the only edition this book comes in. And it was the last purchase from the very good Book Depository (RIP).
The book went beyond my expectations. It starts with the early days of Newey in his primary school and leads us all through his education, career and personal life up until 2017. Through the chapters, which are defined by the cars he was building at the time, he talks about who he worked with and what were the design problems he faced. Almost all of the time he was able to simplify the explanations so I didn't have any problem understanding the highly complex design of an F1 car. Add some drawings off the original parts to it, and it makes for a fascinating introspection of what goes behind designing a car. All in all, it's a great combination of finding out about a man that is responsible for so many championships, but isn't that prominent in the media, and the cars themselves, with a bit of politics that goes behind the scenes.
What I didn't like about the book was that Newey quickly skips over all the years where he lost the title, or where the team built a car that did not evolve into a championship winning car. I'm sure those cars presented some similar problems that they were trying to resolve which would also make for some fun reading. I'm also not sure if this book would be that interesting to non-F1 fans, maybe even for non-technically aspiring F1 fans. There are a lot of times when the chapters are solely focused on fixing an aerodynamic issue at a small part of the car. Still, for me as a person interested on the technical aspect as well, it was a wonderful read.
It's also the first book I bought in hardcover. I don't prefer it as it isn't that portable, but it's the only edition this book comes in. And it was the last purchase from the very good Book Depository (RIP).
The book went beyond my expectations. It starts with the early days of Newey in his primary school and leads us all through his education, career and personal life up until 2017. Through the chapters, which are defined by the cars he was building at the time, he talks about who he worked with and what were the design problems he faced. Almost all of the time he was able to simplify the explanations so I didn't have any problem understanding the highly complex design of an F1 car. Add some drawings off the original parts to it, and it makes for a fascinating introspection of what goes behind designing a car. All in all, it's a great combination of finding out about a man that is responsible for so many championships, but isn't that prominent in the media, and the cars themselves, with a bit of politics that goes behind the scenes.
What I didn't like about the book was that Newey quickly skips over all the years where he lost the title, or where the team built a car that did not evolve into a championship winning car. I'm sure those cars presented some similar problems that they were trying to resolve which would also make for some fun reading. I'm also not sure if this book would be that interesting to non-F1 fans, maybe even for non-technically aspiring F1 fans. There are a lot of times when the chapters are solely focused on fixing an aerodynamic issue at a small part of the car. Still, for me as a person interested on the technical aspect as well, it was a wonderful read.
February 9, 2024
SO good. Absolutely fascinating hearing about Adrian’s life and his career development. Would absolutely love an update now of him talking about the RB17, RB18 and RB19!!
Adrian Newey is a GENIUS
10/10 HIGHLY recommend
Adrian Newey is a GENIUS
10/10 HIGHLY recommend
June 1, 2024
Very well structured.
April 23, 2022
This book is a great deep dive for Formula 1 or Motorsport fans who want an introduction to the development of race cars and a primer on aerodynamics and mechanical principals.
This book is not a particularly insightful peek into Adrian Newey’s life as the emotions of one of the leaders in a cutthroat global sport, or a man balancing a demanding career with family (two unsuccessful marriages get less than a page’s treatment, one nearly entirely omitted).
I didn’t need an in-depth emotional redemption story, but I had hoped for a bit more than the recap of most race results between 1980 and 2014.
In the end, Newey’s acknowledgement of a ghost writer makes total sense. Perhaps the style is indicative of his singular focus on improvements in his racing results.
Set your expectations accordingly and you will be rewarded. A reluctant 4 stars.
This book is not a particularly insightful peek into Adrian Newey’s life as the emotions of one of the leaders in a cutthroat global sport, or a man balancing a demanding career with family (two unsuccessful marriages get less than a page’s treatment, one nearly entirely omitted).
I didn’t need an in-depth emotional redemption story, but I had hoped for a bit more than the recap of most race results between 1980 and 2014.
In the end, Newey’s acknowledgement of a ghost writer makes total sense. Perhaps the style is indicative of his singular focus on improvements in his racing results.
Set your expectations accordingly and you will be rewarded. A reluctant 4 stars.
April 11, 2018
The first half is informative and entertaining. I had no idea how much American motorsports was influenced by today’s de facto automotive engineer / aerodynamicist. The back half was less informative for those that have followed F1 for the past couple decades. Reminiscent and repetitive but an enjoyable read. Great insight to some of motorsports happiest and saddest moments.
November 7, 2017
Really enjoyed some of the anecdotes Newey was able to share. For someone who enjoys Formula One on both a sporting and technical perspective this was well worth the read.
January 13, 2021
he seems like a dick but some of the technical stuff was cool.
Read
June 2, 2023fuck red bull but newey forever has a place in my heart for designing the mid 90s and early 2000s williams and McLaren cars
June 20, 2022
NOTES FROM
How to Build a Car
Adrian Newey
1 January 2022
Prologue
After all, it’s actually relatively easy to drive a Formula One car. Throttle, Green, Green, Amber. Change. Brake, turn the wheel, point it at a corner, accelerate. Simple. It’s like an arcade game. The challenge is doing it faster than everybody else without losing control. That is an entirely different level.
2 January 2022
Chapter 1
The film, meanwhile, seeped into my subconscious, and 40 years later, when I finally saw it for the second time, I found I could remember almost every single frame: its sleek lines, stylised hyper-realism and violence set to a soundtrack of synthesised Beethoven made an impression on me in ways I had never fully comprehended at the time.
2 January 2022
Chapter 1
creosote
2 January 2022
Chapter 1
but when it comes to the research and design of racing cars, attention to every little detail is imperative.
2 January 2022
Chapter 2
My suggestion was that we put the battery behind the engine, in front of the gearbox.
2 January 2022
Chapter 2
My suggestion was that we put the battery behind the engine, in front of the gearbox. Figure 1: Placement of the KERS system in the RB7.
2 January 2022
Chapter 2
Whatever I’m working on, it’s always with the same aim, the one defining goal of my entire career: to increase the performance of the car.
2 January 2022
Chapter 2
RB7, the 2011 car, was just such a time: an overhaul that included the incorporation of the KERS system (it stands for ‘kinetic energy recovery system’), which stores energy in a battery under braking and then releases it during acceleration.
2 January 2022
Chapter 2
2 January 2022
Chapter 2
Right then I knew I had a different way of looking at the world. Thinking about it now, I’m aware that I’m also possessed of an enormous drive to succeed, and maybe that comes from wanting to prove I’m not always wrong
2 January 2022
Chapter 2
that friction can be a good thing.
2 January 2022
Chapter 3
I was going to have to prove my hunger and dedication. So he made a proposal: I had to save up and buy my own kart. But for every pound I earned, he would match it with one of his own.
2 January 2022
Chapter 3
fettling
2 January 2022
Chapter 3
pootle
2 January 2022
Chapter 4
My attitude to the school ranged from ambivalence all the way to apathy (with an occasional touch of anarchy) and the feeling was entirely mutual. We were never destined to part on good terms anyway. And so it proved.
2 January 2022
Chapter 4
Being a smart Alec
2 January 2022
Chapter 4
My mother looked from the headmaster to me and then back again. She raised her chin. ‘Well if that’s your attitude, Lloyd, I’ll have my plant back,’ she said. ‘Come on Adrian, let’s go.
2 January 2022
Chapter 5
2 January 2022
Chapter 5
Apparently, in order to attain expert status at any given activity, be it tennis, violin, cooking, whatever, you need to clock up at least 500 hours’ practice, ideally from the age of eight through your teens, when you’re much more receptive and can learn more quickly.
2 January 2022
Chapter 5
la dolce vita
2 January 2022
Chapter 5
distraction is the enemy of performance
2 January 2022
Chapter 5
Put simply, I never understood them, but I knew how to fake them. It hasn’t held me back in the long term and, in a perverse way, it instilled in me a determination that when the going gets tough you need to get your head down and find a way through it. I also formed the ability to really and truly concentrate when studying, which has certainly helped me in my career, though I have to admit, not socially.
2 January 2022
Chapter 6
Thus, the aim of the chassis designer is to: One: ensure that the tyres are presented to the ground in an even and consistent manner through the braking, cornering and acceleration phases. Two: ensure the car is as light as possible. Three: ensure that the car generates as little drag as possible. Four: ensure that the car is generating as much downforce as possible in a balanced manner throughout the phases of the corner.
2 January 2022
Chapter 6
Figure
2 January 2022
Chapter 6
Figure
2 January 2022
Chapter 6
Turn this upside down, so that you have a downforce-generating wing with its endplate rubbing on the ground, and suddenly you have a massively effective solution. This is exactly what Lotus did in 1977, using much of the underside of the car to create an enormous wing, sealed to the ground at its tips by ‘sliding skirts’. It was an innovation that today we’d call a ‘disruptive technology’, a game-changer that pushed aerodynamics firmly to the forefront of racing car design.
2 January 2022
Chapter 6
Figure
2 January 2022
Chapter 6
Figure
2 January 2022
Chapter 6
So I proposed a variable geometry spring system linked to car speed – what would later become known as active suspension. It was, as far as I know, the first properly researched study of ground-effect aerodynamics applied to a sports car.
2 January 2022
Chapter 7
camber
2 January 2022
Chapter 7
carpet-bombing
2 January 2022
Chapter 9
Nowadays, there’s almost no adlibbing on the model; everything on it is a pre-manufactured part and test schedules are followed because that’s the best way to be efficient. Back then, though, we’d come armed with all sorts of bits and pieces, with Pip and the model-maker on hand to make alterations, and me recording the results and making calls on what to do next. We had limited resources and there was a lot of improvisation, but if we had an interesting direction we’d make a part on the spot, stick it on and try it.
3 January 2022
Chapter 10
In its simplified form, the essence of motor racing is to link together as quickly as possible the sequence of corners that form all racing tracks. However, all drivers have subtly different styles and all racing cars have different inherent characteristics; changing the set-up is a process that involves customising the car to the individual driver and finding the best relationship between the car and the style of the driver. This involves tweaking the ‘set-up parameters’ mentioned earlier.
2 January 2022
Chapter 10
At its simplest level, what a race engineer does is work with the driver to get as much performance from the car as he can. It incorporates basics like issuing instructions to the mechanics on how much fuel to put in and which set of tyres to fit for each outing, as well as ensuring that the set-up is correct depending on the conditions: the weather, of course, but also the track.
3 January 2022
Chapter 11
This was Max Sardou we were talking about. Along with Lotus, Sardou was one of the pioneers of ground effect and fresh from designing an eye-catching underbody for the Lola T600 the previous year.
3 January 2022
Chapter 12
It began.
3 January 2022
Chapter 12
Now, in those days, you didn’t have a televised timing system. Instead the teams relied on wives and girlfriends to write down car numbers as they passed the pits and hence keep a lap check. The good ones were amazing. Unfortunately, the girls we had weren’t the good ones, and by an hour into the race we had no idea of our standing.
3 January 2022
Chapter 12
So, working with Al’s mechanics, we cut out the back of the roof and engine cover and created a new set of ducting to feed the cooler from above (instead of below)
3 January 2022
Chapter 13
but it was Bobby who first taught me how valuable that close relationship between race engineer and driver can be.
3 January 2022
Chapter 13
for me it was a nice meeting of the skills in aerodynamics and mechanical design that I’d learnt over previous years, with race engineering, and throughout the season I made some decent changes
3 January 2022
Chapter 14
A VISION
3 January 2022
Chapter 14
Compare Gilles to Niki Lauda who never let the car get ragged. It was always moving forward. His results speak for themselves.
3 January 2022
Chapter 14
humdinger
3 January 2022
Chapter 15
The ‘spin and win’, it’s called. It’s one of the most dramatic moments in IndyCar history and well worth seeking out on YouTube when you have a chance.
3 January 2022
Chapter 16
coanda effect
3 January 2022
Chapter 17
Taking that decision away from the designer is one of the best things to happen to the sport.
3 January 2022
Chapter 18
I was starting to feel as if I was out of my depth, as though I was about to be rumbled for not being as good as everybody thought I was; a big fish in the smaller pond of Indy, but a minnow in the piranha tank of Formula One.
3 January 2022
Chapter 19
At Red Bull I’ve introduced what I call the 24-hour rule, which is that we sit on an idea for a day or so, throw it around and talk about it, but don’t do anything concrete until it has been critiqued. Does it still stand up after 24 hours? If the answer’s no then we chuck it in the bin
3 January 2022
Chapter 20
grandi costruttori
3 January 2022
Chapter 20
3 January 2022
Chapter 20
rigmarole
3 January 2022
Chapter 21
The car tends towards oversteer as the race goes on because it loses more rear grip than it does front grip – not always the case, it depends on factors like the ambient temperature, the track temperature, the layout of the circuit, the characteristics of the tyres and so on – but as a rule of thumb, it loses more rear grip as the tyres degrade, so the driver would typically soften the rear bar and stiffen the front bar to maintain balance as the tyres degraded through a stint.
3 January 2022
Chapter 21
So we fitted a simple little hydraulic adjuster in the pushrod of the rear suspension of the Lola, with a master cylinder in the cockpit so that Mario could adjust the cross-weight throughout the race.
3 January 2022
Chapter 22
Why did he – why does anyone – want to invest in an F1 team? Well, when you consider that in the years between 2000 and 2014, Red Bull gained an estimated £1.6 billion in advertising simply by being involved in F1, then it’s a bloody good promotional tool. It can also help to pave the way into new markets. For instance, when cans of Red Bull started selling in China, the Chinese were shocked to discover that the Formula One team also made an energy drink. The Japanese, as a nation, are very proud of their engineering prowess and also keen followers of Formula One. Even to this day, over 25 years later, when I go to the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka several fans will ask me to sign models of the Leyton House Formula One car from back then
3 January 2022
Chapter 22
My feeling was that if we came up with something lighter and way more aerodynamically efficient, we could be competitive. There was no point in running a big wing, because although we’d have lots of downforce in the corners, we would be way too slow on the straight. Just as in IndyCars, where the trick was to achieve a high top speed while maintaining good downforce, my plan was to develop the aero package around a moderate-sized rear wing
3 January 2022
Chapter 23
And because the better-quality air flow was helping the lower wing to work more effectively, the lower pressure generated by it in turn helped to extract flow from the diffuser more efficiently, hence loading up the diffuser. Talking of which, we narrowed the back of the car and came up with a diffuser that was divided into two arched tunnels per side.
3 January 2022
Chapter 23
What I wanted to do was change the shape of the endplates to give us a continuous shape irrespective of the tyre position, so we sculpted the endplates, extending and bringing them inboard beside the tyre while allowing enough clearance for steering lock. This also seemed to work well, and gave some good gains.
3 January 2022
Chapter 24
hypoid
3 January 2022
Chapter 24
scrim
3 January 2022
Chapter 25
So for the French Grand Prix we made modifications to the chassis to allow a reduction to 15 per cent anti-dive. It was an improvement, which, combined with the bigger front wing and increased rising rate suspension, meant the understeer was reduced and the drivers could start to use the aerodynamics to push the car harder.
3 January 2022
Chapter 27
annus horribilis
4 January 2022
Chapter 32
The outside’s not too much of a problem, but that lateral squirt of dirty air inwards across the car causes a lot of damage to the aerodynamics of the floor and diffuser downstream of it. It was this squirt of dirty air that I had witnessed in the tunnel when the wool tuft tied itself in a knot. If I could stop or deflect that squirt, it would be very beneficial. Then came one of those eureka moments. An idea that pops into your head in the shower or on the journey to work: Ah, there might be a loophole in the rules that can help here. I consulted the rulebook and, sure enough, there it was: the regulations stipulated that forwards of the centre line of the front axle, any bodywork including the front wing and its endplates had to be 25mm above the bottom of the car.
4 January 2022
Chapter 32
if you can come up with a decent concept then develop it year after year until either the regulations change or you realise that it was the wrong route. That, for me, is the most fruitful way to work.
4 January 2022
Chapter 32
Darwin was not wrong. Evolution is often the key once the spark of a good direction has been set.
4 January 2022
Chapter 33
Marmite character
4 January 2022
Chapter 33
Once we knew that, it was a very simple fix – a case of better end control through the bearings to make sure the shafts didn’t float longitudinally.
4 January 2022
Chapter 33
embolism
4 January 2022
Chapter 35
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO ACTIVE SUSPENSION
4 January 2022
Chapter 35
The car was designed to be an active car: the mechanical packaging was rearranged to carry the active components more elegantly while the aerodynamics had been developed to work over the much narrower ride-height band that active suspension allows, meaning that they would probably work poorly over the wide range of passive car. The research on the car had started late because we did not want to commit to this route until we were confident that autumn testing showed everything to be working well.
4 January 2022
Chapter 35
I’ve found that personal life and work life seem to echo each other. If one goes sour, the other goes sour, and if one’s going well, the other goes well. So it had proved …
4 January 2022
Chapter 37
riposte
4 January 2022
Chapter 37
soapbox subject
4 January 2022
Chapter 40
My theory is twofold. First, because the British garagiste teams of Williams, McLaren and Tyrell were beginning to ask questions regarding the ownership of FOCA, and needed showing who was boss, second, because Ferrari threatened to leave the sport, which is something they do every now and then. Rightly or wrongly, there’s a feeling that the sport needs Ferrari, and that its credibility partly rests on their involvement. Ferrari hadn’t won the World Championship since 1978 and I’m sure Bernie was of the opinion that a Ferrari World Championship would be good for viewing figures. More viewing means more TV money. And more TV money means more income to, well, Mr B. Ecclestone. Bernie had gone from leading the small British teams against the might of the grandees led by Ferrari, to being desperate to keep them in the sport and ensure they were successful. And, at the same time, to teach the British teams a lesson. Anybody read Animal Farm?
4 January 2022
Chapter 42
favelas
4 January 2022
Chapter 42
The issue was a simple geometrical problem requiring a simple geometrical solution. Basically, the sidepod we had on the car was reasonably long, so the front edge of it was close to the front tyres. By making the sidepod long, it has more area to it, so if you can manage to get the same amount of suction along that extra length, you’ve got more total downforce. But, that extra length also brings it closer to the ground if the front is very low. The resulting constriction was causing very high local velocities in the flow followed by rapid deceleration. This creates a highly adverse pressure gradient and that causes separation – in this case a very violent and catastrophic stall.
4 January 2022
Chapter 46
It looked like that’s what Ayrton had done; by reducing steering torque he was effectively applying opposite lock, which, as I’ve said, is the usual way to correct the rear of a car that is stepping out.
4 January 2022
Chapter 46
So, in the immediate aftermath, Patrick and I discussed that and agreed we would have to go to a category system in which the safety-critical components, including the steering system, braking system, suspension parts and key aerodynamic components such as the front wing and rear wing – all the things that, if they failed, could cause an accident – should be submitted to an experienced stress engineer who would look at the drawings, make sure they were structurally sound and then countersign the drawing.
4 January 2022
Chapter 49
Now, you might say, But Adrian, by coming up with workarounds for those changes, aren’t you deliberately undermining the FIA’s efforts to improve safety in the sport? And I would have to agree – but only up to a point. First, that’s the name of the game: the FIA are always trying to come up with more restrictive regulations in order to slow the cars down, and our job, as performance designers, is to find ways to claw back that speed. That’s an integral part of the essence of Formula One, and if the FIA hadn’t come up with those regulation changes, we would have even more downforce. It’s an ongoing battle between designer and regulator.
4 January 2022
Chapter 50
bung
4 January 2022
Chapter 50
parc fermé
5 January 2022
Chapter 50
rumbled
5 January 2022
Chapter 50
chamfer
How to Build a Car
Adrian Newey
1 January 2022
Prologue
After all, it’s actually relatively easy to drive a Formula One car. Throttle, Green, Green, Amber. Change. Brake, turn the wheel, point it at a corner, accelerate. Simple. It’s like an arcade game. The challenge is doing it faster than everybody else without losing control. That is an entirely different level.
2 January 2022
Chapter 1
The film, meanwhile, seeped into my subconscious, and 40 years later, when I finally saw it for the second time, I found I could remember almost every single frame: its sleek lines, stylised hyper-realism and violence set to a soundtrack of synthesised Beethoven made an impression on me in ways I had never fully comprehended at the time.
2 January 2022
Chapter 1
creosote
2 January 2022
Chapter 1
but when it comes to the research and design of racing cars, attention to every little detail is imperative.
2 January 2022
Chapter 2
My suggestion was that we put the battery behind the engine, in front of the gearbox.
2 January 2022
Chapter 2
My suggestion was that we put the battery behind the engine, in front of the gearbox. Figure 1: Placement of the KERS system in the RB7.
2 January 2022
Chapter 2
Whatever I’m working on, it’s always with the same aim, the one defining goal of my entire career: to increase the performance of the car.
2 January 2022
Chapter 2
RB7, the 2011 car, was just such a time: an overhaul that included the incorporation of the KERS system (it stands for ‘kinetic energy recovery system’), which stores energy in a battery under braking and then releases it during acceleration.
2 January 2022
Chapter 2
2 January 2022
Chapter 2
Right then I knew I had a different way of looking at the world. Thinking about it now, I’m aware that I’m also possessed of an enormous drive to succeed, and maybe that comes from wanting to prove I’m not always wrong
2 January 2022
Chapter 2
that friction can be a good thing.
2 January 2022
Chapter 3
I was going to have to prove my hunger and dedication. So he made a proposal: I had to save up and buy my own kart. But for every pound I earned, he would match it with one of his own.
2 January 2022
Chapter 3
fettling
2 January 2022
Chapter 3
pootle
2 January 2022
Chapter 4
My attitude to the school ranged from ambivalence all the way to apathy (with an occasional touch of anarchy) and the feeling was entirely mutual. We were never destined to part on good terms anyway. And so it proved.
2 January 2022
Chapter 4
Being a smart Alec
2 January 2022
Chapter 4
My mother looked from the headmaster to me and then back again. She raised her chin. ‘Well if that’s your attitude, Lloyd, I’ll have my plant back,’ she said. ‘Come on Adrian, let’s go.
2 January 2022
Chapter 5
2 January 2022
Chapter 5
Apparently, in order to attain expert status at any given activity, be it tennis, violin, cooking, whatever, you need to clock up at least 500 hours’ practice, ideally from the age of eight through your teens, when you’re much more receptive and can learn more quickly.
2 January 2022
Chapter 5
la dolce vita
2 January 2022
Chapter 5
distraction is the enemy of performance
2 January 2022
Chapter 5
Put simply, I never understood them, but I knew how to fake them. It hasn’t held me back in the long term and, in a perverse way, it instilled in me a determination that when the going gets tough you need to get your head down and find a way through it. I also formed the ability to really and truly concentrate when studying, which has certainly helped me in my career, though I have to admit, not socially.
2 January 2022
Chapter 6
Thus, the aim of the chassis designer is to: One: ensure that the tyres are presented to the ground in an even and consistent manner through the braking, cornering and acceleration phases. Two: ensure the car is as light as possible. Three: ensure that the car generates as little drag as possible. Four: ensure that the car is generating as much downforce as possible in a balanced manner throughout the phases of the corner.
2 January 2022
Chapter 6
Figure
2 January 2022
Chapter 6
Figure
2 January 2022
Chapter 6
Turn this upside down, so that you have a downforce-generating wing with its endplate rubbing on the ground, and suddenly you have a massively effective solution. This is exactly what Lotus did in 1977, using much of the underside of the car to create an enormous wing, sealed to the ground at its tips by ‘sliding skirts’. It was an innovation that today we’d call a ‘disruptive technology’, a game-changer that pushed aerodynamics firmly to the forefront of racing car design.
2 January 2022
Chapter 6
Figure
2 January 2022
Chapter 6
Figure
2 January 2022
Chapter 6
So I proposed a variable geometry spring system linked to car speed – what would later become known as active suspension. It was, as far as I know, the first properly researched study of ground-effect aerodynamics applied to a sports car.
2 January 2022
Chapter 7
camber
2 January 2022
Chapter 7
carpet-bombing
2 January 2022
Chapter 9
Nowadays, there’s almost no adlibbing on the model; everything on it is a pre-manufactured part and test schedules are followed because that’s the best way to be efficient. Back then, though, we’d come armed with all sorts of bits and pieces, with Pip and the model-maker on hand to make alterations, and me recording the results and making calls on what to do next. We had limited resources and there was a lot of improvisation, but if we had an interesting direction we’d make a part on the spot, stick it on and try it.
3 January 2022
Chapter 10
In its simplified form, the essence of motor racing is to link together as quickly as possible the sequence of corners that form all racing tracks. However, all drivers have subtly different styles and all racing cars have different inherent characteristics; changing the set-up is a process that involves customising the car to the individual driver and finding the best relationship between the car and the style of the driver. This involves tweaking the ‘set-up parameters’ mentioned earlier.
2 January 2022
Chapter 10
At its simplest level, what a race engineer does is work with the driver to get as much performance from the car as he can. It incorporates basics like issuing instructions to the mechanics on how much fuel to put in and which set of tyres to fit for each outing, as well as ensuring that the set-up is correct depending on the conditions: the weather, of course, but also the track.
3 January 2022
Chapter 11
This was Max Sardou we were talking about. Along with Lotus, Sardou was one of the pioneers of ground effect and fresh from designing an eye-catching underbody for the Lola T600 the previous year.
3 January 2022
Chapter 12
It began.
3 January 2022
Chapter 12
Now, in those days, you didn’t have a televised timing system. Instead the teams relied on wives and girlfriends to write down car numbers as they passed the pits and hence keep a lap check. The good ones were amazing. Unfortunately, the girls we had weren’t the good ones, and by an hour into the race we had no idea of our standing.
3 January 2022
Chapter 12
So, working with Al’s mechanics, we cut out the back of the roof and engine cover and created a new set of ducting to feed the cooler from above (instead of below)
3 January 2022
Chapter 13
but it was Bobby who first taught me how valuable that close relationship between race engineer and driver can be.
3 January 2022
Chapter 13
for me it was a nice meeting of the skills in aerodynamics and mechanical design that I’d learnt over previous years, with race engineering, and throughout the season I made some decent changes
3 January 2022
Chapter 14
A VISION
3 January 2022
Chapter 14
Compare Gilles to Niki Lauda who never let the car get ragged. It was always moving forward. His results speak for themselves.
3 January 2022
Chapter 14
humdinger
3 January 2022
Chapter 15
The ‘spin and win’, it’s called. It’s one of the most dramatic moments in IndyCar history and well worth seeking out on YouTube when you have a chance.
3 January 2022
Chapter 16
coanda effect
3 January 2022
Chapter 17
Taking that decision away from the designer is one of the best things to happen to the sport.
3 January 2022
Chapter 18
I was starting to feel as if I was out of my depth, as though I was about to be rumbled for not being as good as everybody thought I was; a big fish in the smaller pond of Indy, but a minnow in the piranha tank of Formula One.
3 January 2022
Chapter 19
At Red Bull I’ve introduced what I call the 24-hour rule, which is that we sit on an idea for a day or so, throw it around and talk about it, but don’t do anything concrete until it has been critiqued. Does it still stand up after 24 hours? If the answer’s no then we chuck it in the bin
3 January 2022
Chapter 20
grandi costruttori
3 January 2022
Chapter 20
3 January 2022
Chapter 20
rigmarole
3 January 2022
Chapter 21
The car tends towards oversteer as the race goes on because it loses more rear grip than it does front grip – not always the case, it depends on factors like the ambient temperature, the track temperature, the layout of the circuit, the characteristics of the tyres and so on – but as a rule of thumb, it loses more rear grip as the tyres degrade, so the driver would typically soften the rear bar and stiffen the front bar to maintain balance as the tyres degraded through a stint.
3 January 2022
Chapter 21
So we fitted a simple little hydraulic adjuster in the pushrod of the rear suspension of the Lola, with a master cylinder in the cockpit so that Mario could adjust the cross-weight throughout the race.
3 January 2022
Chapter 22
Why did he – why does anyone – want to invest in an F1 team? Well, when you consider that in the years between 2000 and 2014, Red Bull gained an estimated £1.6 billion in advertising simply by being involved in F1, then it’s a bloody good promotional tool. It can also help to pave the way into new markets. For instance, when cans of Red Bull started selling in China, the Chinese were shocked to discover that the Formula One team also made an energy drink. The Japanese, as a nation, are very proud of their engineering prowess and also keen followers of Formula One. Even to this day, over 25 years later, when I go to the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka several fans will ask me to sign models of the Leyton House Formula One car from back then
3 January 2022
Chapter 22
My feeling was that if we came up with something lighter and way more aerodynamically efficient, we could be competitive. There was no point in running a big wing, because although we’d have lots of downforce in the corners, we would be way too slow on the straight. Just as in IndyCars, where the trick was to achieve a high top speed while maintaining good downforce, my plan was to develop the aero package around a moderate-sized rear wing
3 January 2022
Chapter 23
And because the better-quality air flow was helping the lower wing to work more effectively, the lower pressure generated by it in turn helped to extract flow from the diffuser more efficiently, hence loading up the diffuser. Talking of which, we narrowed the back of the car and came up with a diffuser that was divided into two arched tunnels per side.
3 January 2022
Chapter 23
What I wanted to do was change the shape of the endplates to give us a continuous shape irrespective of the tyre position, so we sculpted the endplates, extending and bringing them inboard beside the tyre while allowing enough clearance for steering lock. This also seemed to work well, and gave some good gains.
3 January 2022
Chapter 24
hypoid
3 January 2022
Chapter 24
scrim
3 January 2022
Chapter 25
So for the French Grand Prix we made modifications to the chassis to allow a reduction to 15 per cent anti-dive. It was an improvement, which, combined with the bigger front wing and increased rising rate suspension, meant the understeer was reduced and the drivers could start to use the aerodynamics to push the car harder.
3 January 2022
Chapter 27
annus horribilis
4 January 2022
Chapter 32
The outside’s not too much of a problem, but that lateral squirt of dirty air inwards across the car causes a lot of damage to the aerodynamics of the floor and diffuser downstream of it. It was this squirt of dirty air that I had witnessed in the tunnel when the wool tuft tied itself in a knot. If I could stop or deflect that squirt, it would be very beneficial. Then came one of those eureka moments. An idea that pops into your head in the shower or on the journey to work: Ah, there might be a loophole in the rules that can help here. I consulted the rulebook and, sure enough, there it was: the regulations stipulated that forwards of the centre line of the front axle, any bodywork including the front wing and its endplates had to be 25mm above the bottom of the car.
4 January 2022
Chapter 32
if you can come up with a decent concept then develop it year after year until either the regulations change or you realise that it was the wrong route. That, for me, is the most fruitful way to work.
4 January 2022
Chapter 32
Darwin was not wrong. Evolution is often the key once the spark of a good direction has been set.
4 January 2022
Chapter 33
Marmite character
4 January 2022
Chapter 33
Once we knew that, it was a very simple fix – a case of better end control through the bearings to make sure the shafts didn’t float longitudinally.
4 January 2022
Chapter 33
embolism
4 January 2022
Chapter 35
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO ACTIVE SUSPENSION
4 January 2022
Chapter 35
The car was designed to be an active car: the mechanical packaging was rearranged to carry the active components more elegantly while the aerodynamics had been developed to work over the much narrower ride-height band that active suspension allows, meaning that they would probably work poorly over the wide range of passive car. The research on the car had started late because we did not want to commit to this route until we were confident that autumn testing showed everything to be working well.
4 January 2022
Chapter 35
I’ve found that personal life and work life seem to echo each other. If one goes sour, the other goes sour, and if one’s going well, the other goes well. So it had proved …
4 January 2022
Chapter 37
riposte
4 January 2022
Chapter 37
soapbox subject
4 January 2022
Chapter 40
My theory is twofold. First, because the British garagiste teams of Williams, McLaren and Tyrell were beginning to ask questions regarding the ownership of FOCA, and needed showing who was boss, second, because Ferrari threatened to leave the sport, which is something they do every now and then. Rightly or wrongly, there’s a feeling that the sport needs Ferrari, and that its credibility partly rests on their involvement. Ferrari hadn’t won the World Championship since 1978 and I’m sure Bernie was of the opinion that a Ferrari World Championship would be good for viewing figures. More viewing means more TV money. And more TV money means more income to, well, Mr B. Ecclestone. Bernie had gone from leading the small British teams against the might of the grandees led by Ferrari, to being desperate to keep them in the sport and ensure they were successful. And, at the same time, to teach the British teams a lesson. Anybody read Animal Farm?
4 January 2022
Chapter 42
favelas
4 January 2022
Chapter 42
The issue was a simple geometrical problem requiring a simple geometrical solution. Basically, the sidepod we had on the car was reasonably long, so the front edge of it was close to the front tyres. By making the sidepod long, it has more area to it, so if you can manage to get the same amount of suction along that extra length, you’ve got more total downforce. But, that extra length also brings it closer to the ground if the front is very low. The resulting constriction was causing very high local velocities in the flow followed by rapid deceleration. This creates a highly adverse pressure gradient and that causes separation – in this case a very violent and catastrophic stall.
4 January 2022
Chapter 46
It looked like that’s what Ayrton had done; by reducing steering torque he was effectively applying opposite lock, which, as I’ve said, is the usual way to correct the rear of a car that is stepping out.
4 January 2022
Chapter 46
So, in the immediate aftermath, Patrick and I discussed that and agreed we would have to go to a category system in which the safety-critical components, including the steering system, braking system, suspension parts and key aerodynamic components such as the front wing and rear wing – all the things that, if they failed, could cause an accident – should be submitted to an experienced stress engineer who would look at the drawings, make sure they were structurally sound and then countersign the drawing.
4 January 2022
Chapter 49
Now, you might say, But Adrian, by coming up with workarounds for those changes, aren’t you deliberately undermining the FIA’s efforts to improve safety in the sport? And I would have to agree – but only up to a point. First, that’s the name of the game: the FIA are always trying to come up with more restrictive regulations in order to slow the cars down, and our job, as performance designers, is to find ways to claw back that speed. That’s an integral part of the essence of Formula One, and if the FIA hadn’t come up with those regulation changes, we would have even more downforce. It’s an ongoing battle between designer and regulator.
4 January 2022
Chapter 50
bung
4 January 2022
Chapter 50
parc fermé
5 January 2022
Chapter 50
rumbled
5 January 2022
Chapter 50
chamfer
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2019
Fantastic book. Great insight into the life and career of one of the top F1 designers, the technical drawings of parts of each of his cars is a brilliant addition.
December 3, 2022
A great read for F1 enthusiasts.
July 13, 2024
Ein besseres Buch wird es nicht geben.
August 7, 2023
4.5 stars, very interesting but i got little confused on some of the actual car stuff
August 29, 2024
Great balance between technical talk and non-technical talk. Thoroughly enjoyed all Newey’s little anecdotes and ending thoughts on where the sport, at the time of writing, was going.
Also massive ferrari hater which I can only support <3
Also massive ferrari hater which I can only support <3
January 12, 2024
There are a few over simplifications and silly factual errors that annoyed me whilst reading. However I am probably on the nerdy side of motorsports fans and most wouldn’t necessarily notice or care - but for someone as fastidious as Newey clearly is these grated on me.
I enjoyed it in the main, solid 3 star read.
I enjoyed it in the main, solid 3 star read.
April 21, 2024
I really enjoyed listening to the book - interesting journey through a successful career and history of motorsport with glimpses of internal workings of the racing teams.
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