Aston Martin has officially confirmed that F1 design mastermind Adrian Newey will join them as a managing technical partner and shareholder on March 1, 2025. The 65-year-old veteran decided to leave Red Bull back in May, citing a desire for new professional hurdles. He joins the team just in time for the 2025 campaign, which begins in Melbourne on March 16. This season serves as the finale before the sport's landscape is completely transformed by new engine rules and technical regulations in 2026. Newey's brilliance is well-documented, with 25 championships won across three different teams. His 2023 Red Bull car was a masterpiece of engineering, claiming 21 victories in 22 starts. Despite interest from other powerhouses like McLaren and Ferrari, Newey opted for the Silverstone squad. Media reports suggest a massive deal, potentially worth £20 million ($26.17 million) a year, though the exact figures are confidential. Under Lawrence Stroll's ownership, the team is fielding Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Lawrence has poured immense resources into the project, building a state-of-the-art campus and raiding competitors for top talent. This includes hiring former Mercedes engine chief Andy Cowell as CEO (replacing Martin Whitmarsh) and bringing in Ferrari's ex-technical director Enrico Cardile. Looking ahead to 2026, the currently fifth-placed team will switch to an exclusive engine partnership with Honda. Newey expressed his excitement, noting that Lawrence Stroll's hands-on leadership and ambition to build a championship-winning operation were key factors in his decision. He praised the existing infrastructure and stated he is eager to help the team reach the pinnacle of the sport.
Adrian Newey, a star designer for Formula One, will become a shareholder and
managing technical partner of Aston Martin from March 1, 2025, the Silverstone-
based team announced on Tuesday. Earlier in May, the 65-year-old Newey
admitted that he was leaving the current champions, Red Bull, in pursuit of new
challenges. The Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne is scheduled to kick off the
2025 season on March 16. This is the final championship before the sport enters a
new engine age and undergoes a significant regulation overhaul in 2026.
Cars designed by the British designer have won 25 driver’s and constructors’ titles
for Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull. With 21 victories from 22 races, his 2023 Red
Bull was the most dominant vehicle in the history of the sport.
Rival teams, such as Ferrari and McLaren, who were vying for the championship,
were also after Newey. Although Newey’s pay and ownership stake were not
disclosed, media estimates suggest he will receive approximately 20 million
pounds ($26.17 million) per year.
The Aston Martin squad, owned by Canadian Lawrence Stroll, is driven by 43-
year-old Fernando Alonso, a two-time world champion, and Stroll’s son Lance,
with an aspirational goal of becoming the best. Stroll Senior has made significant
investments in the squad, moving the factory into a new campus building and
enlisting elite players from competitors.
In July, it was revealed that Andy Cowell, the former director of Mercedes
engines, will take over as CEO, succeeding Martin Whitmarsh, the former head of
McLaren. Enrico Cardile, a former technical director of Ferrari, has also joined
Aston. Starting in 2026, Aston Martin, which is presently ranked fifth in the
standings, will enter into a new and exclusive collaboration with Honda, Red Bull’s
current engine supplier.
I am thrilled to be joining the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One team, said
Newey. I have been hugely inspired and impressed by the passion and
commitment that Lawrence brings to everything he is involved with. Lawrence is
determined to create a world-beating team. He is the only majority team owner
who is actively engaged in the sport, he stated.
They have all the key pieces of infrastructure needed to make Aston Martin a
world championship-winning team, and I am very much looking forward to
Newey also mentioned to the BBC last year that partnering with Fernando Alonso was a career milestone he had missed out on, a gap he can now finally bridge. Lawrence Stroll described the signing as a seismic event, calling Adrian the best in the business. According to Stroll, this is the most significant development since Aston Martin's return to F1 and a clear signal of their intent to compete for world titles. Stroll admitted he moved quickly to secure Newey once the opportunity arose, noting that their shared competitive spirit and Newey's impression of the Silverstone facilities made the partnership a natural fit. Stroll emphasized that both he and Newey are fully committed to winning.
never having worked with Alonso, and that is also a box he can now tick.
This is huge news. Adrian is the best in the world at what he does—he is at the
top of his game. It’s the biggest story since the Aston Martin name returned to
the sport and another demonstration of our ambition to build a Formula One
team capable of fighting for world championships, Stroll said in a statement.
Stroll admitted that he had been determined to sign Newey as soon as the
designer became available, and initial conversations confirmed the interest was
mutual. Adrian is a racer and one of the most competitive people I have ever met.
When he saw what we had built at Silverstone, he quickly understood what we
were trying to achieve. We mean business, and so does he, Stroll concluded.