Adrian Newey admits new F1 rules causing trepidation
Red Bull design genius Adrian Newey admits the world champion team is heading into the 2014 Formula 1 season with trepidation because of the complexity of the new rules


Although the outfit proved dominant in the second half of this year, the all-new regulations coming for next season mean that there is a more level playing field among teams.
And the scale of the challenge of incorporating the new V6 turbo engines into all-new cars has left Newey and his team bracing themselves for a tough build-up to the next campaign.
"I think from our perspective it is somewhere between mild panic and crisis management," joked Newey on stage at the AUTOSPORT Awards, after Red Bull's RB9 was voted International Racing Car of the Year.
"Next year's regulations are a huge change. It is a very complicated powertrain, and for many teams including ourselves it really is a big challenge.
"Reliability could be a big issue, and it is far from clear how the three engine manufacturers will perform compared to each other. We have got the aerodynamic changes too.
"So it really is a complete clean start unfortunately. We would have been quite happy to stay with the [old] regulations as it turned out."
Newey is no stranger to pushing things as late as he can with new cars, to maximise development time, but reckons his team is really up against it this year.
When asked how he was currently feeling about the 2014 preparation, he said: "I think with some trepidation as I have said.
"The engine regulation changes are a big challenge for everybody, and how that will pan out who knows?
"At the moment we all feel it is going to be remarkably different and we are about six months off being prepared for the start of the season.
"But that is the nature of F1 and somehow or other it always seems to be alright on the night. Let's see."

Sebastian Vettel: 2014 Formula 1 rules mustn't remove thrill factor
Brawn exit leaves 'big hole' at Mercedes F1 team, according to Lauda

Latest news
Aston Martin starting "too far to the back" to score strong F1 results
Aston Martin Formula 1 team principal Mike Krack admits that the Silverstone outfit has to address its qualifying issues to be able to score more than the occasional point.
Mercedes: Flashes of F1 form are “annoying” trait of W13
Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin admits that the W13 has an “annoying” characteristic of showing glimpses of real potential in Formula 1.
Las Vegas GP date leaked, F1 race could be paired with Abu Dhabi
The inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix night race has a preliminary race date of 16-18 November next year that could form a glitzy season-ending back-to-back with Abu Dhabi.
The other McLaren exile hoping to follow Perez's path to a top F1 seat
After being ditched by McLaren earlier in his F1 career Sergio Perez fought his way back into a seat with a leading team. BEN EDWARDS thinks the same could be happening to another member of the current grid
The other McLaren exile hoping to follow Perez's path to a top F1 seat
After being ditched by McLaren earlier in his F1 career Sergio Perez fought his way back into a seat with a leading team. BEN EDWARDS thinks the same could be happening to another member of the current grid
How studying Schumacher helped make Coulthard a McLaren F1 mainstay
Winner of 13 grands prix including Monaco and survivor of a life-changing plane crash, David Coulthard could be forgiven for having eased into a quiet retirement – but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, in fact he’s busier than ever, running an award-winning media company and championing diversity in motor racing. Not bad for someone who, by his own admission, wasn’t quite the fastest driver of his generation…
Could F1 move to a future beyond carbonfibre?
Formula 1 has ambitious goals for improving its carbon footprint, but could this include banishing its favoured composite material? PAT SYMONDS considers the alternatives to carbonfibre and what use, if any, those materials have in a Formula 1 setting
How Russell has proven he deserves to be Hamilton's Mercedes heir
He’s fast, he’s smart, and he’s already shown he’s not going to let Max Verstappen intimidate him. George Russell won’t say it, but LUKE SMITH says he’s ready to take the lead at Mercedes when Lewis Hamilton moves on to a quieter life. And – whisper it – Mercedes and Lewis are starting to think so too
The traits that fuelled Alonso's unexpected Aston Martin move
Fernando Alonso’s bombshell switch to Aston Martin sent shockwaves through Formula 1, not least at Alpine that finds itself tangled in a contract standoff with Oscar Piastri. Not shy of a bold career move and with a CV punctuated by them, there were numerous hints that trouble was brewing
The elements Ferrari must resolve to first save face, then win championships
OPINION: Ferrari's Formula 1 title hopes look all but over after another strategic blunder in last week's Hungarian Grand Prix denied Charles Leclerc the chance to fight for victory, while handing it to chief rival Max Verstappen. The Scuderia now faces intense scrutiny over what it must now do to finally become a genuine factor in championship battles
The clues about Hamilton’s F1 retirement plans revealed after Vettel’s decision
OPINION: Sebastian Vettel is set to leave Formula 1 at the end of 2022 and will, rather shockingly, be replaced by Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin. But what about the final chapter of the other driver that defined the post-Michael Schumacher era? In Hungary, Lewis Hamilton spoke about his future in the context of Vettel’s upcoming departure, which offered clues on how long it will last
Why all signs point to F1’s Monaco special relationship continuing
OPINION: With more potential venues than there are slots in future calendars, rumours have been circulating that the Monaco Grand Prix could be a casualty of F1’s expansion into new markets. But MARK GALLAGHER thinks this is highly unlikely