Adrian Newey Is Joining Aston Martin's F1 Team
Ever since the announcement that legendary Formula 1 designer Adrian Newey was leaving Red Bull, there has been copious speculation about where he was going to end up – or even if he would retire. Now, we have an official answer: Newey will be joining the Aston Martin Formula 1 team from March next year.
“As slightly rumored, Adrian Newey will be joining us first and foremost as a shareholder and also as the Technical Managing Partner of our Formula 1 team,” Aston’s Executive Chairman Lawrence Stroll announced to a packed press conference at AMF1’s Silverstone HQ in England earlier this morning. Newey will gain a stake in the team alongside his role leading development.
Now 65 years old, Newey says that he did seriously consider retiring from the sport altogether when he announced his departure from Red Bull. “I spent lots of time discussing with my wife Mandy what to do,” he told journalists. “Do we sail around the world? Do we do something different?”
While refusing to confirm speculation that he came close to signing with Ferrari, Newey admits to having had discussions with several Formula 1 teams. “I was very flattered by the number of teams that did approach me, and I had discussions with some of those teams,” he said, “in the end it became a very clear and natural choice.”
One that came down to Aston’s management, as well as the chance to gain a stake in the team. “Lawrence is unique in being the only properly active team owner. That does bring a different feeling, it’s back to the old school model,” Newey said, “and to have the chance to be a shareholder and a partner is something that has never been offered before.”
While Formula 1 is full of inflated reputations, Newey has proved hugely successful across multiple teams. He started his F1 career with Leyton House in 1990, with Ivan Capelli nearly taking what would have been the team’s only victory at that year’s French Grand Prix in the Newey-designed CG901. He then moved onto Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull. Cars designed under his leadership have taken a total of 12 Drivers’ Championships and 13 Constructors’ titles — the most recent being Max Verstappen’s 2023 walkover, in which he won 19 of 22 rounds.
Aston Martin is in clearly need of some Newey magic. Despite a huge investment from Stroll, and the recent opening of a vast new factory in Silverstone, the team is currently languishing in fifth place in the Constructors’ championship, having scored barely a quarter the points of fourth-placed Mercedes. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, son of Lawrence, are in ninth and tenth place in the Drivers’ championship, respectively.
“It would be an exaggeration to say I’ve enjoyed every day of my career, but well over 90 percent has been hugely enjoyable,” Newey said. “If you ask what is the pinnacle of man and machine, clearly it is Formula 1 … If I’m going to do man and machine, I may as well keep going at the pinnacle for as long as possible.”
The other fascinating question – which Newey swerved by in the press conference – is whether he will continue to work on road car projects; after all, he led the creation of both the Aston Martin Valkyrie and the forthcoming Red Bull RB17 track-only hypercar. Here’s hoping that lightning can strike three times.
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