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F1: Fernando Alonso says Newey 'genius' overrated

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Khatir Soltani
From GMM

Adrian Newey is a "genius" but his contribution to a team's success is overrated, according to Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso.

As technical boss, Briton Newey has also won titles with Williams and McLaren and is credited as a core reason for Red Bull's current success.

But Fernando Alonso told Spain's Marca sports newspaper at the Ferrari summer media event in the Italian Dolomites: "In F1, there is no magic, no genius who can do everything but still everyone talks about Newey. He really is very good and he has made a great car, but he was the same genius for the first five years and their cars were no so good."

"To have success you need many things, including a group of intelligent people, budget -- without just the right mix it is not possible. Newey would not go to Virgin and win the world championship without the right structure," added Fernando Alonso.

Adrian Newey at work.

Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
Automotive expert
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