Horner credits Newey with Red Bull success
Newey was once again the brains behind the brawn as his 2010 design, the RB6, helped Red Bull to claim both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championship.
Last year's double means he is the only designer in F1 history to have won titles with three different teams following his success with McLaren and Williams.
"Adrian is a unique character," said Horner.
"In many ways he is an engineering dinosaur because he still stands at a drawing board and pencil draws a lot of surfaces on the car.
"But he's an inspirational leader in the technical group and he has the foresight and vision.
"The appeal to him joining Red Bull, when I convinced him to come on board, was to get involved in something at the beginning he could put his footprint on, something from scratch.
"Together we've built the team up with tremendous support from (owner) Dietrich Mateschitz.
"In many ways Adrian is like the conductor of an orchestra, and within that you have to have all elements there to perform.
"He has built a great group which he leads very effectively, and he still has the desire, passion and hunger, despite having won seven Constructors' Championships and over 115 races." Planet F1