Adrian Newey Wife: Meet Amanda “Mandy” Smerczak
Amanda has even been known to defend Adrian’s reputation publicly.
Adrian Newey has been married three times.
His first wife was a nurse named Amanda, and they were married in 1983.
The couple had two daughters, Charlotte and Hannah, but their marriage ended in separation in 1989.
In 1992, Newey married his second wife, Marigold. They had a daughter, Imogen, and a son, Harrison.
However, this marriage also did not last, and they separated in 2010.
Newey’s current wife is Amanda “Mandy” Smerczak, the daughter of South African actor Ron Smerczak.
They tied the knot in August 2017 and appear to be going strong.
Amanda has even been known to defend his reputation publicly, as evidenced by her social media criticism of comments that downplayed his role in Red Bull’s recent success.
Children
Newey has four children from his two previous marriages.
His first two children are daughters, Charlotte and Hannah, born during his marriage to Amanda in 1983.
The couple divorced in 1989. Newey then remarried Marigold in 1992.
They had a son, Harrison, in 1998, and a daughter, Imogen.
This marriage ended in 2010.
Interestingly, Harrison has followed in his father’s footsteps and become a racing driver himself.
He started out in Formula 4 races in 2015 and has competed in other racing series.
Early life
Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England in 1958, Newey was surrounded by influences that would shape his future career.
His early hero was the legendary Formula One designer Colin Chapman, whose innovative approach to car design undoubtedly sparked Newey’s own fascination with the field.
This enthusiasm translated into action by his teenage years.
By the age of 12, he was already sketching his own car designs, a testament to the deep interest that had taken root.
However, his formal education took a bit of a detour.
While attending Repton public school alongside future motoring personality Jeremy Clarkson, Newey’s unconventional streak emerged.
He was asked to leave the school at 16 after an incident at a concert where he pushed the sound system to such high volumes that it cracked the stained-glass windows.
Despite this setback, Newey’s academic talent shone through.
He enrolled at the University of Southampton, and with a clear focus on his future, he earned a first-class honors degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics in 1980.
This prestigious degree, combined with his undeniable passion for car design, would become the launchpad for his remarkable career in motorsport.
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Career
Newey is a legend in Formula One, with a career spanning over three decades.
He’s not just a designer, but a multifaceted talent who has excelled as a race engineer, aerodynamicist and technical director.
His influence has been felt across multiple teams and categories, but it’s in Formula One that he’s truly cemented his place in history.
Newey’s journey began outside of F1, designing cars that dominated the American IndyCar and IMSA series.
He then transitioned to Formula One, initially with teams like March and Williams.
It was with Williams in the early 90s that Newey’s genius truly blossomed.
Partnering with Patrick Head, he designed a series of dominant cars that powered Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve to Drivers’ Championships, along with five Constructors’ Championships for Williams.
Never one to rest on his laurels, Newey moved to McLaren in 1997.
There, he continued his winning ways, crafting another championship-winning car for Mika Hakkinen in 1998.
In 2006, Newey took on a new challenge, joining the ambitious Red Bull Racing team.
While initial success was measured, his design acumen eventually paid off in spectacular fashion.
From 2010 to 2013, Red Bull cars with Newey’s fingerprints all over them, dominated Formula One, winning both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships for four consecutive years.
This streak continued with a Drivers’ Championship win in 2021, followed by a stunning championship double in both 2022 and 2023.
The 2023 Red Bull car, the RB19, designed by Newey, holds the record for the most dominant F1 car ever, winning an incredible 21 out of 22 races.
While Newey recently announced his departure from Red Bull at the end of 2025, his legacy in Formula One is undeniable.
His designs have yielded an unmatched twelve Constructors’ Championships with three different teams, and thirteen Drivers’ Championships with seven different drivers at the wheel.
He is rightly regarded as one of the greatest Formula One engineers of all time.
