by Adrian Newey will join Aston Martin next year in a staggering £20million-a-year deal, the F1 team announced this morning.
The legendary Formula 1 designer, who announced his departure from Red Bull in May after 19 years with the world champions, will take up his new role in March 2025.
Manufacturers including Ferrari, McLaren, Alpine and Williams all called on Newey’s services, but team owner Lawrence Stroll’s vision of turning Aston Martin into a F1 world champion persuaded Newey to join the Silverstone-based team.
Lewis Hamilton, who joined Ferrari, had previously expressed interest in working with Newey, but the Scuderia’s interest in the designer has cooled in recent months as the team has been unwilling to enter a bidding war with Aston Martin. Newey, 65, will receive an annual salary of £19.8 million ($26 million) and will become a shareholder in Aston Martin under a five-year deal.
“I am delighted to be joining the Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team. I have been extremely inspired and impressed by the passion and commitment of everyone. [team owner] “Lawrence Stroll brings a lot to everything he gets involved in,” Newey said.
“Lawrence is committed to building a world-class team. He is the only majority shareholder of the team who is actively involved in the sport. His commitment is demonstrated in the development of the new AMR Technology Campus and Wind Tunnel at Silverstone, which are not only state-of-the-art but also provide a fantastic working environment.
“With leading partners like Honda and Aramco, they have all the infrastructure needed to make Aston Martin a world champion team and I am very much looking forward to helping achieve this goal.”
Newey decided to leave Red Bull in May, with the fallout from the Christian Horner conduct investigation and the subsequent power struggle within Red Bull a factor in his decision.
The design guru will now play a central role in Aston Martin’s car ahead of new engine and chassis regulations in 2026, with drivers Fernando Alonso, a two-time F1 world champion, and Lance Stroll, son of team owner Lawrence, hoping to benefit from the Briton’s experience and expertise.
Aston Martin, the fifth fastest team this year, has invested heavily in its F1 project, with team owner Stroll funding a new state-of-the-art factory and wind tunnel at Silverstone, as well as securing Honda as its works engine partner from 2026.
Max Verstappen has also been linked with a move to Aston Martin, having capitalised on Newey’s knowledge of ground-effect cars with drivers’ titles over the last three years. The Dutchman also leads this year’s world championship by 62 points with eight races remaining.
Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season, but the rift between his father Jos and team boss Horner means he has yet to confirm his future beyond next year.
Newey won 12 drivers’ championships and 13 constructors’ titles during a career spanning more than 30 years in Formula One, working for Williams and McLaren before joining Red Bull.
Lawrence Stroll added: “This is huge news. Adrian is the best in the world at what he does – he’s at the top of his game – and I’m incredibly proud that he’s joining Aston Martin.
“This is the biggest news since Aston Martin’s return to the sport and a further demonstration of our ambition to build a Formula 1 team capable of challenging for world championships. As soon as Adrian became available, we knew we had to make this happen. Our initial conversations confirmed that there was a shared desire to collaborate in a unique opportunity. Adrian is a driver and one of the most competitive people I have ever met.
“When he saw what we have built at Silverstone – our incredible AMR Technology Campus, the talented group of people we have brought together and the sport’s ultimate wind tunnel – he quickly understood what we are trying to achieve.
“We are serious, and so is he. Adrian shares our desire and ambition, he believes in this project and he will help us write the next chapter in the history of Aston Martin Aramco in Formula 1.”
Newey will be joined by former Mercedes engine boss Andy Cowell, who becomes CEO next month, and former Ferrari chassis technical director Enrico Cardile.
Dan Fallows, who worked as an aerodynamicist under Newey at Red Bull between 2006 and 2021, joined Aston Martin as technical director in 2022.
