Red Bull played a crucial role in encouraging Aston Martin to involve Adrian Newey in the design of the Valkyrie.
Red Bull and Aston Martin already had a strategic partnership, with Aston Martin as a title sponsor for Red Bull Racing.
Red Bull explained the reason:
Adrian’s unparalleled aerodynamics and vehicle design expertise make him the ideal person to bring a revolutionary approach to Valkyrie’s design.
The real reason:
Ferrari made Aidrian a fabulous offer: a great salary, all-expenses-paid flights to Maranello from Monaco daily, and, most notably for Adrian, the opportunity to design a road car.
Christian Horner explained later that Adrian was within half an hour of signing with Ferrari.
In an effort to keep Newey, Horner said you can build a road car for Red Bull.
Christian then contacted Andy Palmer, the CEO of Aston Martin, and argued that Adrian is probably the best designer of all time and that Aston has a great brand.
Due to this strategic negotiation, Red Bull successfully encouraged Aston Martin to engage Adrian Newey in the Valkyrie design.
This resulted in Aston Martin producing one of the world’s most advanced and innovative hypercars, and Red Bull kept Adrian.
Pure genius.
It’s a pity Red Bull didn’t apply that genius to Adrian’s forthcoming departure!
