Red Bull genius Newey admits F1 career ‘on a countdown’ after landmark win
It was a day of records for Red Bull as Max Verstappen claimed his 41st victory in F1 - moving level with Ayrton Senna.
Verstappen’s triumph handed Red Bull their 100th win, becoming only the fifth team in history to do so.
It was also a 200th win for an F1 car designed by Newey, stretching back to his first in 1991 at Williams.
Reflecting on the achievement after the race in Canada, Newey addressed his future.
“I’m lucky enough to be doing what I’ve always wanted to do, loved it,” he told Sky Sports F1.
“My career can’t go on forever. As long as the team wants me and I keep enjoying it I’ll keep going, but realistically it’s on a countdown.
"It’s really special, this would’ve been my first here in 1991 but Nigel [Mansell] was waving and forgot to change down [gear]. Max is on it, we have all learnt from that, until you cross the line you can’t count it.
“It has been an amazing journey, my dream was always to be an engineer in motoracing. When I got my first job and salary, that was the big moment. Everything else has been a bonus.”
Newey was pressed on what specific wins from the 200 that stood out over the years.
Ricardo Patrese’s win for Williams at the 1991 Mexican Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel's victory in Abu Dhabi to beat Fernando Alonso to the title, and Verstappen beating Lewis Hamilton in the 2021 finale were the three he named.
“All the wins are special. First win in Mexico [1991] stands out," he added. "The ones where the championship has gone down to the wire - very often Abu Dhabi, with Sebastian [Vettel] against Fernando [Alonso], and then Max against Lewis [Hamilton].”
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