Who is Named as “2024 World Car Person of the Year”?
Adrian Newey of Red Bull Racing is a well-known figure in the industry, having won over 200 races with his designed cars during a nearly 35-year successful career in Formula 1. Aerodynamicist Adrian Newey, the Chief Technical Officer of Red Bull Racing, is the mastermind behind the design and engineering of the RB19, the most dominant race car in Formula One history.
The 2024 World Car PERSON of the Year is Adrian Newey, OBE, of Red Bull Racing, according to the jury panel for the World Car Awards, which is made up of more than 100 journalists from 29 different countries. Among the five nominees, he was selected alongside CV Raman, the Chief Technology Officer of Maruti Suzuki.
It won 21 of the 22 races in 2023, setting the standard for most of its rivals to follow and allowing Red Bull to win its sixth World Championship and Max Verstappen to win his third. With over 200 victories for his designed cars and 35 years in Formula 1, Newey is at the pinnacle of an incredible career.
Newey has previously worked for the Williams and McLaren F1 teams in addition to Red Bull. He was a key contributor to the development of the championship-winning Williams vehicles in 1992 and 1993, which are most known for their innovative at-the-time technological features, such as active suspension and other driver aids like traction control. Shortly after, the features were outlawed because they gave the team a big competitive advantage over the opposition. Between 1996 and 2005, Newey worked for the Ron Dennis-led McLaren team as well. There, he contributed to the development of the MP4/13 and MP4/14 cars, driven to world championship success in 1998 and 1999, respectively, by Mika Hakkinen.
The World Car Person of the Year Award is given based on the achievements of prospective rivals in the global automotive arena. Together with major advancements in safety, engineering, design, technology innovation, and other customer benefits, their work may have a huge impact on their brand or business.
In 2018, Hakan Samuelsson, the President and CEO of the Volvo Car Group, won the World Car of the Year Award, marking the first time this prestigious title was given out. Sergio Marchionne, the chairman and CEO of Ferrari, the CEO of FCA, and the chairman of CNH Industrial, received it in 2019. Carlos Tavares, the CEO of PSA Group in 2020, and Akio Toyoda, the President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation in 2021, were the recipients of the award. Additionally, SangYup Lee, Executive VP and Head of Hyundai and Genesis Global Design Centre, Hyundai Motor Company, won in 2022, and Luc Donckerwolke, Executive VP for Design and Chief Creative Officer, of Hyundai Motor Group, won in 2022.
The World Car Awards also unveiled the top 10 candidates for the 2024 World Car of the Year title, in addition to the top five finalists in each of the six vehicle categories. World Luxury Car of the Year, World Electric Car of the Year, and World Performance Car of the Year are a few of these. As the field of competitors is narrowed down to the Top Three in the World—who will be revealed at the Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS) on February 26—excitement will grow. Nonetheless, during the 2024 New York International Auto Show on March 27, the winners of each section will be made public.
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