It’s done! Adrian Newey, Red Bull’s historic engineer, at the heart of the team’s success in Formula 1 for almost twenty years, will join Aston Martin in 2025, announced Tuesday, September 10, the British team, owned by Canadian businessman Lawrence Stroll, father of the driver of the same name (Lance Stroll). The man who is considered the greatest engineer in the history of Formula 1 will notably work on the new technical regulations coming in 2026, with the objective, in the medium term, of the world title.
Archive (1998) | Article reserved for our subscribers Adrian Newey, the brains behind the McLaren team
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“I felt I needed a new challenge”said the 65-year-old Englishman on Tuesday, who will leave the reigning world champion team, which he joined in 2006, a year after its creation, at the beginning of 2025. Internal disagreements, notably with Christian Horner, the British boss of Red Bull, had surfaced during the “Hornergate” affair, a case of inappropriate behavior towards an employee and the war of influence that followed.
Adrian Newey, who will begin his assignment at Aston Martin’s new state-of-the-art factory in Silverstone, UK, on 1is March 2025, will become associate technical manager, a newly created position, as well as a shareholder of the team. “I have been approached by many teams and I am flattered, but Lawrence’s passion, commitment and enthusiasm [Stroll] made it very persuasive. In this modern era, Lawrence is unique, he’s the only team owner so involved, it reminds me of the old model. The opportunity to be a shareholder and manager had never been offered to me, so it really became a natural choice.”explained Adrian Newey, during his presentation press conference. His stake is estimated at 75 million euros.
Around 30 million euros per year
Adrian Newey, who was once expected to join Ferrari after the announcement of his departure from Red Bull in early May, has signed a « long terme » – five seasons – will earn, according to several media outlets, up to 25 million pounds per year (around 30 million euros).
“Adrian is the best in the world in his field. He is the key, the main piece of the puzzle. He will be the technical leader of our project. He is not an investment, he is a shareholder and partner, and he is the best possible choice. It is not expensive for all that Adrian will bring.”Lawrence Stroll said.
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In his new team, the engineer will work with the new CEO, Andy Cowell, former director of the Mercedes-Benz engine department (2013-2020), the technical director Enrico Cardile, former technical director of the chassis and aerodynamics department at Ferrari, and will find a familiar face: Dan Fallows, former head of aerodynamics at Red Bull, who moved to Aston Martin in 2021 as technical director. On the driver side, the English engineer will therefore work with Lance Stroll and the Spaniard Fernando Alonso, who is committed to Aston Martin until 2026.
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Adrian Newey started at the March team in 1988. He then won five constructors’ titles with Williams (1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997). With McLaren, where he stayed from 1997 to 2006, he won a constructors’ title (1998) and two drivers’ titles (Mika Häkkinen 1998, 1999). Red Bull then gave him carte blanche and an annual salary of 10 million euros to design its single-seater. He will win six constructors’ world championship titles (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2022, 2023) and seven titles for his drivers (Sebastian Vettel in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 then Max Verstappen in 2021, 2022, 2023), perfectly taking the new regulatory turn of 2022.
