Red Bull's 'exotic' car evolution continues post-Newey

Red Bull is continuing to produce innovative and visually striking 'exotic' design features on its new RB22 car, demonstrating that its technical department remains potent despite the departure of legendary designer Adrian Newey. Technical Director Pierre Waché, now fully in charge, appears to have steered the team past last year's early-season struggles, using the confidence from their late-2025 recovery to push aggressive new concepts for the latest regulations.

Why it matters:

Adrian Newey's move to Aston Martin marked the end of an era for Red Bull, raising questions about the team's future technical direction and innovative capacity. The early signs that Waché's team is still willing to take bold design risks are crucial for maintaining Red Bull's identity as a technical disruptor and for its long-term ability to challenge for championships without its iconic 'great mind'.

The details:

• The team's recovery in the second half of last season, where Max Verstappen won six of the final nine races, proved critical. It restored confidence in the team's simulation tools, confirming that data from the wind tunnel and CFD was again correlating with on-track performance.
• This renewed confidence has directly translated into the RB22's design phase, allowing the engineering group under Waché to explore more radical 'exotic' and 'funky' aerodynamic solutions.
• Analyst and former F1 driver Karun Chandhok noted the significance of the leadership shift, stating that Waché is now fully in charge without "the big halo of the great mind of Adrian Newey above him."
• The current technical path, including the decision for Red Bull to become its own power unit manufacturer, was set by the previous leadership trio of Newey, Christian Horner, and Helmut Marko. Waché, along with Team Principal Laurent Mekies and Powertrains CEO Ben Hodgkinson, is now tasked with executing that vision.

What's next:

The true test of these exotic designs will come at the season-opening races, where reliability and consistent performance under new regulations are paramount. If the RB22's innovations deliver as hoped, it will solidify Pierre Waché's authority and Red Bull's post-Newey technical philosophy. However, any repeat of the early-2025 correlation issues could put immense pressure on the new-look technical structure to find quick solutions.