Earlier this week, Aston Martin held a big press conference to announce the arrival of Adrian Newey to their team. They had been in a tussle with several teams, including Ferrari, to secure Newey’s services. After this presser, the news of the British designer choosing Aston Martin left the team and its fanbase in a celebratory mood. However, Red Bull boss Christian Horner deemed these celebrations ‘premature’.
Per F1 journalist Adam Cooper, Horner said, “Adrian has always tended to do his own thing. Obviously, it was a big moment for that team, and they chose to celebrate it – perhaps potentially slightly prematurely, before he’s finished his contract with Red Bull Racing..“
Christian Horner on @AstonMartinF1‘s Newey PR event: “Adrian has always tended to do his own thing. Obviously it was a big moment for that team, and they chose to celebrate it – perhaps potentially slightly prematurely, before he’s finished his contract with Red Bull Racing…”
— Adam Cooper (@adamcooperF1) September 13, 2024
Newey and Red Bull officially announced their decision to part ways in May 2024. However, the 65-year-old is currently serving an extended notice period cum gardening leave from his role as Red Bull’s CTO. Newey has mainly focused on finishing his work with the RB17 hypercar project and has taken a step back from the F1 operations.
Therefore, the British aero genius is indeed still a Red Bull employee until the first quarter of 2025. Newey will be joining Aston Martin as their Managing Technical Partner from March 1, 2025. This means that he may not have as much influence in the early iterations of the team’s 2025 F1 car.
However, Aston Martin will count on Newey’s expertise to help them develop their car well throughout the season and also build a good foundation for the 2026 regulations, which will reset the pecking order. For now, the Silverstone outfit winning over Newey with a mega deal has made a lot of noise in the paddock, regardless of what Horner says.
Aston Martin’s grand welcome for Newey
The aforementioned presser where Lawrence Stroll officially announced Newey’s signing had all the big players from the Aston Martin F1 team. Besides Stroll Sr., the team’s drivers — Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll — were also present and gave their thoughts about the British genius coming over to Silverstone next season.
All the top F1 journalists like Will Buxton, Lawrence Barretto, Andrew Benson, Luke Smith, Craig Slater, and Ted Kravitz, among others were present at this event while F1TV’s Laura Winter hosted it. All of them felt quite amazed to see Stroll Sr. introducing Newey as the team’s new shareholder as well, besides his designation of Managing Technical Partner.
The Canadian business magnate has given the 65-year-old an increased stature at Aston Martin as a shareholder and not just a technical honcho overseeing the F1 technical program. This means Newey will have an influential voice among Aston Martin’s wider managerial decisions, besides his roles and responsibilities as the overall technical leader.
Relative to Red Bull, this is a massive step-up along with a handsome salary package as well. BBC reported that Newey will be earning a salary of around $26 million per annum and this amount goes up to $40 million, including bonuses.
