2013 Red Bull has been compromised

Adrian Newey behind schedule on 2013 Red Bull

Adrian Newey has admitted that the timescales surrounding the completion of Red Bull's new RB9 chassis have been compromised as a result of the 2012 title run-in, with Sebastian Vettel fighting for his third world title until the final race in Brazil.

Although explaining that a continual development push was the only logical choice for the team as the season drew to a close, Chief Technical Officer Newey is aware of the consequences and believes the team's 2013 preparations have taken a hit.

"We were introducing developments to the car right up to the penultimate race," Newey explained to Autosport. "That has made it difficult to introduce all of those and simultaneously develop the next car.

"This has compromised the timescales of the new car more than we would have liked. It was the right trade at the time because we managed to get the job done, but it means a busy winter trying to catch up."

Red Bull has not yet confirmed a launch date for its new challenger and is expected to make a decision over its ability to attend the opening pre-season test next week.