“It wasn't a good experience anyway” - Former 4x champion Alain Prost recalls facing ‘very angry’ Red Bull chief, which left him ‘scared’

Four-time Formula 1 champion Alain Prost has shed light on his experience of working with Adrian Newey, praising the engineer and designer for his skill and contributions to the sport.

Newey's first stint in F1 came with the March Racing Team in 1988. He has since worked with Leyton House Racing, Williams Racing and McLaren before joining Red Bull Racing in 2006, a team he has stuck with to date. The cars he has designed have won 23 Drivers and Constructors F1 titles.

The Englishman's first triumph in the sport came with Williams, with the FW14B, helping the team win both titles in 1992. Porst, who came out of retirement in 1993, worked with Newey at Williams, and driving the FW15C, won his final career title that year.

In their long association, there have been times when both Prost and Newey were not on the same page. One notable example was during their time at Renault, who were supplying engines to Red Bull. It was during that period that the Frenchman saw a different side in Newey.

Speaking on an episode of the Beyond the Grid podcast, Prost recalled:

“I was the one that Renault pushed in order to go and talk to Max’s family and Adrian or also Helmut or Christian. I remember in Spa, going to the office, and I was almost afraid but anyway, it was not a good experience. But I saw Adrian very, very upset sometimes, very upset because he’s a competitor, and he thinks that he’s making the best car, and he wants to have the results – and if it’s because of the engine or reliability, he cannot accept that.”

Prost added:

“But I saw him, the real competitor, sometimes he can be angry – because I never saw him like this before. And he’s not young; he has fantastic experience, fantastic records, but he’s still there, motivated and being angry like he was, I really appreciate that very much.”

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“You are talking with him, and he is listening” - Alain Prost explains why Red Bull CTO is 'the best'

Adrian Newey currently works with Red Bull, where he holds the role of Chief Technical Officer. His latest car, the RB19, has helped the team begin the 2023 season in fine fashion, winning both Bahrain GP and Saudi Arabian GP.

Alain Prost, who has worked closely with Newey before, explained about what sets the Briton apart from the rest:

“I worked with Adrian at Williams, also at McLaren, but in a different role. Even now, looking at him from the outside, he is very different. I loved talking to Adrian. Adrian is listening to you, asking questions all the time. You never have an argument with Adrian; you are talking with him, and he is listening.”

He added:

“Then he does what he thinks is the best, but he never tells you what he is going to do or if you are right or wrong, just listening and talking. I love that; that is why he is the best. He is fantastic for the engineers working with him; he brings energy and synergy in terms of the brain capacity - it is fantastic.”