After months of speculations, Adrian Newey is finally a part of the Aston Martin F1 team. There’s a catch, though. He cannot start working on their F1 cars until serving his gardening leave which will end next year’s first quarter. The Silverstone-based team announced his arrival through a much-anticipated press conference with some journalists in attendance.
With the announcement of his arrival, Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll also revealed the role he will play. Not only has the former Red Bull CTO taken up the position of Technical Managing Partner, but will also be a part owner and shareholder of the team. On top of that, Newey will earn a salary of £20 million ($26.19 million) a year. That figure can go up to £30 million ($39.28 million) a year, subject to bonuses.
That salary, as per ESPN, comes down to a whopping £3,434 ($4,500) an hour. A debate among fans and experts has already been initiated over whether Newey deserves to earn such exorbitant amounts. What no one can deny, however, are his credentials and the 25 championships winning track record that he carries under his belt. There is no denying the potential he holds to turn the fate of a struggling Aston Martin.
Adrian Newey’s reported salary at Aston Martin will see him earn £3,434 every hour pic.twitter.com/aqOEoX4HSW
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) September 10, 2024
Turning down Ferrari must have been a tough decision, though. The prospect becomes even more attractive knowing that he could have joined Lewis Hamilton in 2025. However, as team principal Fred Vasseur admitted, Newey’s vision for the team did not align with his. That ultimately caused the breakdown of talks.
It would be interesting to see what awaits Aston Martin in the new era of regulations starting in 2026 with Newey at the helm. He is confident of forging yet another championship-winning partnership with Honda producing the power units for the team. The 65-year-old has done it with Red Bull, where he continues to enjoy the top spot in both standings.
