Adrian Newey, the most successful designer in Formula One’s contemporary era, will be joining Aston Martin for the coming season. Newey penned a long-standing contract with the esteemed British brand, thought to be worth up to £30 million (€35.5 million) annually. This contract shows Aston Martin’s billionaire proprietor, Lawrence Stroll’s, determination as Newey will also gain part-ownership in the team.
The official announcement was made on Tuesday morning at the Silverstone factory. The 65-year-old is anticipated to start collaborating with the team and its drivers, including past world champion Fernando Alonso and Stroll’s son Lance, from March next year.
Newey voiced his enthusiasm about joining Aston Martin and his admiration for Stroll’s dedication towards all his ventures. Stroll aims to evolve a top-performing team under his guidance.
Newey’s inclusion poses great value for Aston, due to his ability to interpret and use regulations to build exceptionally competitive cars. This often leads to a significant edge, primarily at the beginning of a new rule-set. He will be joining Aston at the right time to contribute substantially to the design of their new car, inline with the 2026 major regulations reset.
Stroll referred to the signing of Newey as a crucial milestone since Aston Martin returned to the sport. It demonstrates the team’s intent to compete at the highest level in Formula One.
Newey’s remarkable reputation is well-deserved in F1, having designed cars that have bagged 12 drivers’ and 13 constructors’ championship wins across three teams – Williams, McLaren and Red Bull. His first was in 1992 with Nigel Mansell and Williams, followed by victories for Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve, Alain Prost, Mika Hakkinen, and Sebastian Vettel. The new Red Bull, designed by Newey, has been exceptional enough to allow Verstappen to outperform in the last two seasons, collecting 19 wins out of 22 races in the last year.