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Official: Adrian Newey to depart Red Bull

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Red Bull Racing design guru Adrian Newey, whose vehicles have dominated Formula 1 for many years, will go away the squad within the first quarter of subsequent yr – and he’ll spend his remaining months with the agency ending its deliberate RB17 hypercar.

The 65-year-old joined the power drinks large’s Formula 1 squad in 2006 and has been instrumental in its rise to turning into one of many sport’s main outfits. During his 19 years with Red Bull, the squad has claimed seven drivers’ championships, six constructors’ titles and 117 victories.

Newey is not immediately employed as a part of the Red Bull Racing operation however has been chief know-how officer of the Red Bull Technology Group, and since 2014 his transient has been widened to incorporate different initiatives outdoors of F1. That job shift was, partially, to fend off a serious push for Newey’s providers from Ferrari.

As a part of his Red Bull Technology Group position, Newey was concerned within the improvement of the Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar and has since begun work on Red Bull’s first hypercar, named the RB17. That automobile, resulting from be revealed this yr, is a 1250bhp V8 delicate hybrid with a claimed £5 million value and is designed primarily for track-day use.

In a launch asserting Newey’s departure, Red Bull Racing stated he would “step back” from his F1 duties to “focus on final development and delivery” of the RB17 and he’ll “remain involved in and committed to this exciting project until its completion”.

In an announcement, Newey stated it had been “a great honour to have played a key role” in Red Bull’s F1 success, however he added: “I feel now is an opportune moment to hand that baton over to others and to seek new challenges for myself.”

Since becoming a member of Red Bull, Newey has designed a string of title winners for Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen. His 2023 automobile is probably the most dominant in F1 historical past. Before becoming a member of the squad, he beforehand designed F1 race and title winners for Williams and McLaren.

Team boss Christian Horner stated: “When Adrian joined Red Bull, he was already a superstar designer. Two decades later, he leaves as a true legend.” Horner added that the RB17 will “be a fitting testament and legacy to his time with us.”

German title Auto Motor und Sport first revealed Newey’s plans to depart Red Bull final week, which the BBC has subsequently reported to be linked to the controversial state of affairs surrounding misconduct allegations in opposition to Horner. Earlier this yr, an investigation cleared Horner of any wrongdoing, though the complainant has since appealed that call.

The state of affairs with Horner is claimed to have sparked an influence wrestle inside Red Bull that has left Newey sad.

Subsequent reviews earlier than Newey’s departure recommend that latest negotiations have targeted on the size of his ‘gardening go away’, though it’s unclear if Newey will pursue one other job or just selected to retire from F1 and give attention to different initiatives and pursuits.

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Report: Adrian Newey to depart Red Bull

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Red Bull Racing design chief Adrian Newey, whose automobiles have dominated Formula 1 for many years, is about to depart the workforce, in line with experiences.

German title Auto Motor und Sport first reported that the 65-year-old has knowledgeable Red Bull chiefs of his plan to depart Milton Keynes on the finish of the yr.

The BBC says it has confirmed these experiences with sources on the workforce.

The experiences recommend Newey’s choice is linked to the controversial scenario surrounding misconduct allegations in opposition to workforce chief Christian Horner.

Earlier this yr, an investigation cleared Horner of any wrongdoing, though the complainant has since appealed that call.

The scenario with Horner is alleged to have sparked an influence battle inside Red Bull that has left Newey sad.

Newey joined Red Bull in 2005 and has since designed a string of title winners for Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen. His 2023 machine was probably the most dominant in F1 historical past.

If his departure is confirmed, Newey may have loads of choices. He has strongly been linked with a transfer to Ferrari – organising a dream partnership with Lewis Hamilton – and has a job supply from Aston Martin.

Newey has beforehand designed race and title-winners for Williams and McLaren.

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From kidney to kink: How to design a BMW

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“As Adrian van Hooydonk, BMW’s design chief, once said to me: ‘BMW is happy to rekindle the past but does not worship the flames.’”

BMW roundel

“For BMW folks, the badge and its deployment could be a dialog that lasts for hours.

“It’s all the time utilized to the centre of the bonnet however, on three fashions – the unique CSL, final 12 months’s limited-run 3.0 CSL and the X2, simply out of manufacturing – to the rear pillar as effectively.

“Designers are all the time attempting to place the roundels on and so they’re all the time being advised to take them off, the argument being that one ought to have the ability to recognise a BMW with out badges.

“One designer got very close to putting one on his concept car last year but, very late in the day, was told: ‘No!’”

L-shaped back lights

“This basic machine emerged within the mid-Eighties when Wolfgang Reitzle, then an upcoming engineer, noticed the ‘E32’ 7 Series in growth and, horrified by its slender physique, insisted it have to be widened.

“Rather than simply add a bit within the center, the designers emphasised the elevated width with no fewer than six quad headlights (they have been modified to 4 spherical ones for manufacturing) whereas, on the rear, they added an built-in boot spoiler and L-shaped lights that turned up on the ends to emphasize it.

“The style of BMW rear lights continues to evolve. On last year’s Vision Neue Klasse saloon, they form the rear spoiler as a different way of acknowledging the E32 7 Series’ then novel integrated boot spoiler.”

Legacy color

“The vibrant orange that BMW sometimes makes use of first appeared on the E25 Turbo gullwing present automotive of 1972. It was the concept of Paul Bracq, BMW’s chief designer within the Seventies.

“Bob Lutz, then BMW’s govt vice-president of gross sales, needed a present automotive that will put the corporate on the map for type. He steered it’s styled as a security automotive, in brilliant security colors.

Motorsport

Bentley Delays Its First EV and Pushes Back Electrification Date

Bentley supposed to introduce its first electrical mannequin in 2025—however that is not occurring. CEO Adrian Hallmark advised Automotive News Europe the EV has been delayed by a yr due to technical issues brought on by software program points in addition to “platform-related concerns.” Crewe’s inaugural EV is now anticipated to interrupt cowl close to the tip of 2026, however buyer deliveries will not begin till 2027.

Separately, Autocar has discovered Bentley can also be pushing again its objective to turn out to be solely electrical by the tip of the last decade. According to the brand new agenda, the ultra-luxury British model desires to utterly do away with gasoline automobiles by 2033. The three-year delay will permit the corporate to speculate extra in plug-in hybrids to supply a smoother transition to an EV-only lineup early into the following decade.

Bentley EXP 100 GT At Monterey

The inaugural EV goes to be manufactured at residence within the UK and will likely be underpinned by the Premium Platform Electric co-developed by Porsche and Audi. The first PPE-based fashions have been lately revealed because the second-generation Macan in January and the Q6 E-Tron earlier this week. While all three manufacturers sit beneath the Volkswagen Group umbrella, Audi technically owns Bentley (in addition to Lamborghini and Ducati) since 2022.

The choice to delay the EV is not stunning. The Macan and Q6 E-Tron have been additionally purported to arrive sooner, per the unique bulletins. Before the primary zero-emission mannequin arrives, Bentley is making ready to launch a high-performance plug-in hybrid setup based mostly round a V-8. It’ll not directly exchange the venerable W-12, which is unfortunately going away with the 740-horsepower Batur.

The firm’s head honcho admits Bentley had estimated demand for hybrids would lower nearer to the tip of the last decade, however it’s now anticipated to rise. Consequently, the high-end automaker is pouring “hundreds of millions” into a brand new wave of PHEVs that’ll stay on sale early into the following decade to fulfill demand.

We’ll be seeing that punchy V8 PHEV setup within the GT, GTC, and Flying Spur later in 2024. The present V-6 PHEV is staying whereas the Bentayga will retain its pure gasoline powertrain till 2026 when the luxurious SUV is about to turn out to be electric-only.

Bentley EXP 100 GT At Monterey

The now-delayed EV will not exchange an current mannequin because it’ll be a totally totally different product. When it does arrive, it is getting a warmer Speed model touted as “the W12 of batteries” with electrical motors developed to ship 50 to 100% extra energy than ICEs. For now, essentially the most potent mannequin on this PPE platform is the Porsche Macan Turbo with 630 hp and 833 pound-feet of torque.

The batteries that can go inside Bentley’s first EV could have sufficient juice for 350 to 450 miles on a single cost, in line with a press release made final yr by Hallmark. It’ll take lower than 20 minutes to replenish the battery from 10 to 80 %.

For the time being, the Bentayga is the undisputed gross sales king with a 44-percent share of the full quantity in 2023. The Continental GT/GTC is subsequent with 31 % whereas the Flying Spur occupies the final spot on the rostrum with a 25-percent share. In 2023, complete deliveries dropped by 11 % to 13,560 items.

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Range Rover thefts: JLR boss needs motion to sort out organised crime

JLR boss Adrian Mardell has referred to as for an “urgent national conversation” about organised car crime, calling on the federal government to take a position additional to crack down on gangs, even when that comes as a substitute of tax cuts.

Concerns in regards to the high theft of Range Rover vehicles have led to a stories from homeowners of a pointy improve in insurance coverage charges. Asked in regards to the concern throughout a media name for JLR’s third quarter monetary outcomes, Mardell launched a passionate defence of the security of his agency’s vehicles, saying information suggesting a excessive theft fee of Range Rover and Land Rover Defender fashions has been exaggerated because of misreported information. 

Mardell acknowledged that organised car crime was “a serious issue in this country” that was “touchdown closely on all [manufacturers]”, together with JLR.

He added: “Our purchasers are affected by that, and most of the people on this nation gained’t like that, whether or not they’re struggling or not.”

But he insisted that lots of the stories on the excessive theft fee of JLR autos was primarily based on previous or incomplete information that has been misinterpreted.

Citing the latest full year DVLA statistics for 2023, Mardell mentioned: “Contrary to a widely repeated myth, the Range Rover does not feature in the top 10 vehicles in the UK stolen for calendar year 2023. It is not Britain’s most stolen vehicle. There are no JLR models in the top three stolen vehicles in calendar year ’23.”

The car theft figures for 2023 present the Ford Fiesta was the UK’s most stolen automobile, forward of the Ford Focus. The Range Rover Sport was fifth, with 1631 stolen, the Range Rover Evoque (1489 thefts) was sixth and the Discovery Sport (954) was tenth. Those numbers cowl all vehicles on the street, no matter age.

Mardell famous that the DVLA information exhibits a 27.2% year-on-year decline in Range Rover theft and a 28.6% decline in Range Rover Sport theft. He additionally cited information displaying minimal thefts of the most recent Range Rover and Defender fashions.

“For [the] Defender, since launch in 2019, only 130 cars have been stolen out of 45,200 vehicles, a rate of 0.3%,” mentioned Mardell. “The Police National Computer exhibits solely 0.08% of latest Range Rovers – simply 11 autos out of 12,800 autos which have been handed over to purchasers since launch two years in the past – have been stolen. It’s 15 for the brand new Range Rover Sport.

“I’m not sure which other brand could actually claim such a high level of security and a low level of theft.”

Mardell mentioned the figures meant “there is no reason whatsoever why any insurance company should not gladly and readily insure those new vehicles – zero reason, in any part of this country.”

News

JLR CEO Apologizes for Parts Delays as 5,000 Cars Await Repair

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) CEO Adrian Mardell expressed his dissatisfaction with the delays at the company’s new parts logistics hub in Leicestershire, which have resulted in thousands of cars in the UK being unable to be repaired.

During a discussion on JLR’s financial performance in the previous quarter, Mardell openly discussed the challenges that have arisen from downsizing JLR’s UK parts supply network from 18 warehouses to one large facility known as Mercia Park in Leicestershire.

According to a report by Car Dealer Magazine, around 10,000 cars in the UK were taken off the road due to delays at Mercia Park, with dealers unable to fit replacement parts. Autocar then revealed that dealers were advised to use second-hand parts in order to address the backlog.

Mardell confirmed to Autocar that the delays have had an adverse impact on after-sales performance, and resolving this issue is a top priority for the company in the coming months.

He explained, “Although this transition was planned, it has taken longer than we anticipated. I want to make it clear that nobody wanted this, and as an organization, we take responsibility for this change, along with our partner.”

Mardell also expressed the company’s apology for the delays.

“To be absolutely clear, we are extremely unhappy about this. Just like the challenges we face with vehicle theft, this issue has the highest priority within our organization and our partner organization, Unipart Logistics,” Mardell emphasized.

Mardell stated that he is in regular communication with Unipart as resolving this issue is of utmost importance to both parties.

He also mentioned that in October, the number of parts waiting to be shipped to dealers decreased for the first time since Mercia Park became operational. Although reports indicated that approximately 10,000 JLR cars were off the road in the UK awaiting parts, Mardell stated that the number has reduced, and the current count is under 5,000.