Adrian Newey to join Aston Martin | Lawrence Stroll’s big move

Everyone in the Formula 1 world was waiting to see where Adrian Newey, one of the greatest engineers in history, would land. Aston Martin won the race. In the words of Lawrence Stroll, it was “certainly the most exciting news in the history” of the team “and of F1 in general.”

Newey, who has been a key factor in Red Bull’s success over the past 18 years, becomes not only joint technical director but also a shareholder in Aston Martin.

The news was announced Tuesday morning. It will probably be the main topic of the coming week in the world of auto racing. It’s big, very big.

“Adrian is probably the best in his field,” team owner Stroll summed up in a 40-minute press conference.

“There’s no one who’s even come close to winning as many championships as he has. He’s a gentleman, a winner, a competitor. He has the passion and the desire to win, like me and most people in this building.”

Stroll admitted to trying to talk to Newey several times over the past few years. Apparently, good things come to those who wait.

Newey announced his departure from Red Bull last April. He needed a break, to get away. He and his wife considered sailing around the world. But here’s the thing: Newey felt he “needed a new challenge,” he said.

Since his departure from the two-time defending champion team, there have been many rumours about the engineer’s future. At one point, it was thought that he would join Scuderia Ferrari, which will welcome Lewis Hamilton in 2025.

Newey said he had spoken to “several teams” in the weeks following his departure announcement. In the end, it was Aston Martin, and most notably Lawrence Stroll, who won the derby. Newey was apparently convinced during a “private tour” of the new factory in June.

“Lawrence’s passion, dedication and enthusiasm are very endearing and persuasive,” Newey noted.

“An incredible team”

At Aston Martin, Newey joins a team that is growing. According to Lawrence Stroll, the engineer is “certainly the biggest piece of the puzzle from a technical leadership point of view.” The businessman was particularly smiling on Tuesday morning.

Over the past two seasons, Aston Martin has had its ups and downs. In 2023, the team surprised everyone by hiring veteran driver Fernando Alonso, who managed eight podiums. The team finished the campaign in 5^e rank in the constructors’ standings, 22 points behind McLaren.

The 2024 season is going a little less well for the green team, which has only earned 74 points so far. But Stroll is clearly not worried about all that; his goals are mainly set for 2026.

“In all honesty, for a team like us, who just moved into this building, who doesn’t have all of their tools in place yet, who doesn’t have a technical leader as great as Adrian… I would like to be higher, don’t get me wrong, but our focus is on having a better car in 2025, and then we’ll put most of our energy into 2026.”

His son, Lance Stroll, was clearly excited about Newey’s arrival. Who wouldn’t be? “We’re building an incredible team, with so many talented people already with us,” he said. “Now Adrian is coming on board. It’s very exciting.”

Alonso, also present for the announcement, admitted to having been “inspired” by Newey during his career. “Thanks to Adrian, his talent, his cars, we all became better as drivers, engineers, teams… We all had to raise the bar because of him.”

“Lawrence’s vision comes to life with this building, with Adrian, with Honda, with Aramco, with the new wind tunnel,” listed the 2005 and 2006 world champion.

While the terms of Newey’s deal with Aston Martin have not been disclosed, it is likely that the sum involved must be significant.

“I can tell you that Adrian is a steal!” Stroll said of the deal. “I’ve been in business for, like, 40 years, and I’ve never been more certain that he’s the best partner I could bring into this business. We plan on working together for a very long time.”

That’s what is said.