Adrian Newey Crowned 2024 World Car Person of the Year for Formula 1 Excellence

Red Bull’s Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey has been honoured as the 2024 World Car Person of the Year.

The Brit was selected by a panel of more than a hundred journalists from 29 different countries, with the 65-year-old preferred among five finalists, including Stephan Durach from BMW Group, Andreas Preuninger of Porsche AG, C.V. Raman from Maruti-Suzuki, and Lisa Reeves of Volvo Cars.

As the Chief Technical Officer and lead aerodynamicist for Oracle Red Bull Racing, Newey’s RB19 design showcased unparalleled dominance during the 2023 F1 season, with Max Verstappen winning nearly every race. Oracle Red Bull Racing clinched both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships, missing victory in only one event.

The ingenuity of the automotive design maestro has seamlessly transitioned into the RB20, Red Bull’s contender for the 2024 season. On the inaugural day of pre-season testing in Bahrain, Max Verstappen led the pack, outpacing the nearest competitor by over a second on the timesheets.

RedBull’s ‘Shark Mouth’ Sidepods inlets!🦈

The inlet area looks minimal from the front due to the underbite (the part of bodywork that goes over it, partly covering from the front)

Never seen before💡#F1 @redbullracing @Max33Verstappen @f1 #RB20 #RedBull pic.twitter.com/V81mWaM7LZ

— Formula Data Analysis (@FDataAnalysis) February 21, 2024

With a career spanning 35 years in Formula 1, Newey’s designs have contributed to 12 World Constructors’ titles and 13 World Drivers’ championships. Since joining Red Bull Racing in 2010, he has crafted victorious vehicles for Williams and McLaren, achieving over 200 wins.

Beyond his F1 success, Newey crafted the Aston Martin Valkyrie, a hypercar competing against the Mercedes-AMG ONE, featuring an engine derived from F1 technology and set to compete in Le Mans by 2025.

So, Max @Max33Verstappen in his brand spanking RB20 @redbullracing was 1.14s faster than the next car, 1.5s faster than last year and clocked 143 laps on day 1! Ye Gods! Hast thou no mercy? And it would have had at least half a tank of fuel in it, or I'm a Dutchman. #f1 #Bahrain pic.twitter.com/TBaLEynHMT

— Damon Hill (@HillF1) February 21, 2024

Newey is now developing the RB17 hypercar to surpass the challenges encountered with the Valkyrie. The RB17 is scheduled for unveiling and track testing within the year, with a limited production run of 50 units starting in 2026.

The accolade of 2024 World Car Person of the Year is one of seven awards presented by the World Car Awards this year, with the announcement of the ten contenders for the World Car of the Year having taken place earlier.

The award ceremony is set for March 27 at the New York International Motor Show, where winners in each category will be revealed.