F1 may be going through a week’s break before on-track action resumes in Baku, but the off-track news has kept everyone hooked. The reason is Adrian Newey and the speculations on his future. When experts were discussing Aston Martin’s probability of announcing his arrival on September 10, BBC reported about Newey’s contract details.
Among those were the duration of his contract and the salary he would draw. The report claims that the British aerodynamicist has bagged a $40 million a year salary contract that will run for the next five years starting in 2025.
That begs the question — what made Newey pick Aston Martin? As per F1 and IndyCar analyst Tim Hauraney, it’s the Silverstone-based team’s $250 million state-of-the-art facility. Hauraney, who claims to have visited the factory, recalled how much technologically ahead Aston Martin is compared to its rivals.
On a recent episode of the ‘Nailing The Apex’ podcast, he said, “No one has a factory like this, trust me when I tell you that. It’s so forward-thinking that it’s like Aston Martin is into the future. Everybody else is catching up.”
“They’ve got like robot arms that help move things around the shop and help put pieces of cars together that can then be picked up and put into the wind tunnel. Just crazy amount of tech.”
Lawrence Stroll’s investment in Aston Martin:
-New factory
-New wind tunnel
-HONDA
-Newey
-200% increase in the workforce
-AlonsoLike him or not, this guy’s desire to win should not be questioned
And let’s remember that the other two buyers of Force India were:
-Uralkali… pic.twitter.com/EKaBZ3Ys0O— Cytrus (@cytrusf1) September 4, 2024
Hauraney also recalled about the facilities available to the employees who work at the factory. He hailed the team for putting together a running track that was ‘as smooth as Silverstone circuit’. He also recalled being in awe of the gym, which had ‘state-of-the-art equipment’ and giant screens.
While Hauraney believes that would not necessarily appeal to Newey — who is old-school in his approach and still draws on paper with a pencil — the factory’s technology must surely appeal to the aerodynamicist and the car designer in him.
But then why does Aston Martin need him when they’ve got the right personnel and the means to put their talents to work? Haurney believes that is where Newey’s organizational skills come into play. That management role is what the 65-year-old brings to the table. Apparently, that level of expertise is worth $200 million over five years.
