Newey, Goodwood and the 312 B3: Joke or Message?

Adrian Newey, beyond being the “Genius” of Formula 1 and a skilled driver when he gets behind the wheel, is also endowed with subtle English humor, was discovered at the 2024 Festival of Speed. The engineer who designed all of Red Bull's championship-winning cars has decided to leave the Milton Keynes team to join another. Despite months having passed, Newey has not announced where he will go, and the entire Formula 1 world is in turmoil. It was certain he was joining Ferrari, then powerful alternatives like Aston Martin and McLaren emerged (with special appeal for an Englishman like him, surely attracted by the chance to bring the title back to England), and now rumors of Mercedes courting him have resurfaced.

Amid all this uncertainty, Newey showed up at Goodwood with Niki Lauda's 312 B3. He's not dressed in red, but the car sends a stunning message. After the hill climb, where he drove hard and well, as usual, he emphasized how this car, the first to guide engineers towards ground-effect opportunities, marked a turning point from the models of the previous decade. Adrian, having just raced fiercely and podiumed at the Monaco Grand Prix Historique in the Lotus 25, highlighted the importance of Ferrari's technical evolution with the 312 B3 at the time.