Adrian Newey's greatest F1 cars - Can 2026 Aston join the list?

Adrian Newey has rarely been more energised than he is heading into the 2026 Formula 1 season.

After leaving Red Bull earlier this year, the most influential designer in modern F1 history is preparing for a fresh start as team principal at Aston Martin, having joined a team still trying to convert heavyweight investment into sustained front-running performances.

For Newey, who turned 67 today, the new technical regulations offer something he has not enjoyed in more than a decade: a genuine clean sheet.

In 2026, aerodynamics, power unit architecture, and energy deployment strategies will all be reset.

The balance will shift more heavily toward electric power and, with active aerodynamics and lighter cars, packaging philosophies need to be reinvented.

These are exactly the kinds of opportunities that have defined Newey’s career and those that excite him the most. When the rulebook changes dramatically, he tends to surface with something clever, elegant, and fast.

With new rules and a blank cheque, Newey has everything he needs to draw the blueprint of a frontrunner. And if history is any guide, the evidence is compelling.

Across Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull, Newey has repeatedly delivered cars that shaped championships and redefined design trends.

We look at the most significant – and best – F1 cars penned by Newey, and what made each one so formidable.

Williams FW14B (1992)

Perhaps the single most influential car of the modern era, the FW14B was the moment Newey’s aerodynamic brilliance converged with Williams’ willingness to push electronic innovation.

Active suspension, traction control, and semi-automatic gearshifts all came together with a beautifully efficient chassis.

Newey’s trademark control of airflow around the sidepods and under the floor gave the car extraordinary stability, allowing the electronics package to reach its full potential.

Record: 10 wins from 16 races, championship double, and dominant margins.

Why it was great: It set a new benchmark for integration of aerodynamics and electronics, and effectively forced the FIA to rethink what was permissible.

Williams FW15C (1993)

Often described by Newey as the most advanced car he ever produced, the FW15C refined every idea from the FW14B and added a few more.

The active ride system became astonishingly sophisticated, while the Renault V10 and continuously variable transmission experiments pushed the envelope even further.

Record: Alain Prost marched to the title, Damon Hill added three wins, and Williams sealed another constructors’ crown.

Why it was great: It was so advanced that its full potential was never legally unlocked; even in a partially restricted state, it was the class of the field.

McLaren MP4-13 (1998)

Newey’s arrival at McLaren transformed a team that had lost its way.

The MP4-13 exploited the new narrow-track regulations better than anyone, with a beautifully tapered chassis, efficient sidepods, and a clever interpretation of the new grooved tyres.

Newey’s packaging created a car that was both agile and aerodynamically stable, critical under rules designed to slow cornering speeds.

Record: Championship double for Mika Häkkinen and McLaren.

Why it was great: It set McLaren back on a winning trajectory within months of Newey’s arrival and showcased his ability to decode major regulation swings instantly.

McLaren MP4-20 (2005)

Although it missed both titles due to poor early reliability and Kimi Räikkönen’s grid penalties, the MP4-20 was the fastest car of 2005 once it came alive.

Newey’s emphasis on aerodynamic load distribution and a tight rear-end concept produced staggering pace, particularly in high-speed sections.

Despite missing out on the title, Räikkönen declared it his favourite F1 car.

Record: 10 wins but no championships.

Why it was great: Pure speed. It was one of the quickest F1 cars ever built, and the strongest demonstration of Newey’s performance without compromise.

Red Bull RB5 (2009)

The moment Newey’s Red Bull era clicked.

Under sweeping new regulations, he predicted the importance of clean airflow to the rear and produced a slim, efficient chassis that became the basis for Red Bull’s entire design language in the 2010s.

The RB5 didn’t win the championship, but it marked the start of a dominant era.

Record: Six wins and the start of the Vettel/Red Bull rise.

Why it was great: Innovation in airflow management and diffuser exploitation; the DNA of four future title-winning cars.

Red Bull RB7 (2011)

The peak of the exhaust-blown diffuser era.

Newey maximised the aerodynamic seal at the rear of the car, allowing unprecedented downforce through medium- and high-speed corners.

Combined with a compact Renault engine installation, the RB7 was in a different league.

Record: 12 wins, Sebastian Vettel’s second title, dominant constructors’ championship.

Why it was great: It was arguably the most aerodynamically superior car of the V8 era, designed around perfect exploitation of a loophole others could not match.

Red Bull RB8 (2012)

A trickier, more turbulent season thanks to regulation tweaks, but the RB8 was the car that demonstrated Newey’s problem-solving genius.

He introduced the controversial “hole” in the floor, rethought rear-bodywork packaging, and adapted the car continually as Pirelli’s tyres shifted the competitive order.

Record: Vettel’s third title, marked by a remarkable late-season surge.

Why it was great: Flexibility and innovation under pressure; Newey found performance where others thought there was none.

Red Bull RB18 (2022)

After the return of ground-effect rules, Newey again read the aerodynamic philosophy better than anyone.

The RB18 introduced a stable platform with a powerful downforce profile and excellent tyre behaviour.

It became the blueprint for Red Bull’s current generation of ground-effect cars.

Record: 17 wins and a dominant title for Max Verstappen.

Why it was great: It set the direction for Red Bull’s modern dominance and solved porpoising issues faster than rivals.

Red Bull RB19 (2023)

One of the most dominant cars in F1 history.

The RB19 refined every strength of the RB18, producing unmatched efficiency, stability, and tyre usage.

Newey’s influence on the floor, suspension geometry, and packaging created a car with almost no weaknesses.

Record: 21 wins from 22 races; Verstappen’s most commanding title.

Why it was great: It was as close to perfection as F1 has seen – a car that defined an era.

Can the 2026 Aston be Newey’s next greatest car?

If there is a pattern, it is this: Newey thrives when the rules change dramatically. Most of his most successful cars emerged from regulation resets where innovation mattered more than optimisation.

The 2026 regulations fit his skillset better than any rulebook since 2009.

Given freedom, stability, and resources, the evidence from three decades of championship-winning machinery is clear: Newey’s first clean-sheet car with a new team is almost always a game-changer.

And that is exactly what Aston Martin hopes to unleash in 2026.