Adrian Newey: All you need to know about his sensational Aston Martin move

Adrian Newey will be heading to Aston Martin once he leaves Red Bull, in a move that is set to be seismic in the world of Formula 1.

There is a lot to unpack as the sport’s widely-lauded ‘design guru’ has decided upon his next move, so we are here to guide you through everything you need to know about one of the year’s biggest transfers.

All you need to know as Adrian Newey confirms Aston Martin move

What is Adrian Newey’s new job title at Aston Martin?

Having been chief technology officer at Red Bull, Newey will be taking on the newly-created role of Managing Technical Partner at Aston Martin.

This will see him become not only the leader of Aston Martin’s technical operation, overseeing the development of their car for the transition to the F1 2026 regulations, but he will also become a shareholder within the team.

This step not only signals a massive statement of intent by Aston Martin to compete for World Championships in the future, but gives Newey the opportunity to work with brand-new equipment at the team’s updated Silverstone base.

Read here for a look at how Newey’s arrival will reshape the existing structure at Aston Martin .

What is Adrian Newey’s salary at Aston Martin reported to be worth?

Newey’s salary has been reported by multiple outlets to be worth up to £30million [$39m] per year at Aston Martin, when accounted for bonuses, on a long-term contract.

This would put his earnings well above almost every driver on the grid, but according to team owner Lawrence Stroll, given his track record in producing title-winning cars, it would still represent “a bargain” to the team.

Why is Adrian Newey joining Aston Martin?

Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com after his arrival was announced, Newey took questions on why he decided to leave Red Bull after what would be a 19-year stint with the Milton Keynes-based constructor.

With Aston Martin currently in the midfield and looking to turn themselves into title contenders, Newey said he sees the challenge of a new project as an exciting one, alongside the hands-on approach of Stroll as a team owner being one that he can work alongside.

“I decided to stop at Red Bull, which was over the Suzuka weekend back in April, and then genuinely had no idea what would be next,” he said.

“I think I felt as if I needed a new challenge, and so, towards the end of April, I decided I needed to do something different. I spent a lot of time with Mandy, my wife, kind of discussing, ‘Okay, what’s next? What do we do? Do we go off and sail around the world? Do I do something different, America’s Cup or whatever?’

“So we took a bit of time out, and I felt I’ve been lucky enough to have achieved what I aspired to from the age of 10 or 12, which was simply to be a designer – I don’t think you would know the word engineer, in motor racing.

“I just wanted to have a blank mind, kind of take stock and enjoy a bit of a break and was hoping that… kind of standing in the shower somewhere, the spark would come of, ‘Yep, this should be the direction’.

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“I felt I needed a new challenge, and so I took a bit of time off.

“Lawrence and I have known each other off and on over the years. We often bump into each other in the gym, particularly at the Middle East and Far East races. So, I announced to everybody that I would be departing the old team, then I was very flattered to have a lot of approaches from various teams.

“But really, Lawrence’s passion, commitment, and enthusiasm is very endearing. It’s very persuasive.

“The reality is, if you go back 20 years, then what we now call team principals were actually the owners of the teams – Frank Williams, Ron Dennis, Eddie Jordan, etc, etc.

“In this modern era, Lawrence is actually unique in being the only properly active team owner. I think that does bring a different feeling when you have somebody like Lawrence involved like that, it’s back to the old school model and to have the chance to be a shareholder and a partner is something that has never really been hasn’t been offered to me before.

“So it’s a slightly different slant. It’s one I’m very much looking forward to. It became a very natural choice.”

What did Lawrence Stroll say about Adrian Newey’s arrival?

Naturally, given the scale of this announcement, Stroll was excited to announce Newey’s arrival at Aston Martin from the F1 2025 season onwards, believing it to be a big step on the team’s journey forwards.

“This is huge news,” Stroll said.

“Adrian is the best in the world at what he does – he is at the top of his game – and I am incredibly proud that he is joining the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team.

“It’s the biggest story since the Aston Martin name returned to the sport and another demonstration of our ambition to build a Formula 1 team capable of fighting for World Championships.

“As soon as Adrian became available, we knew we had to make it happen. Our initial conversations confirmed that there was a shared desire to collaborate in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“Adrian is a racer and one of the most competitive people I have ever met. When he saw what we have built at Silverstone – our incredible AMR Technology Campus, the talented group of people we have assembled and the latest wind tunnel in the sport – he quickly understood what we are trying to achieve.

“We mean business – and so does he. Adrian shares our hunger and ambition, he believes in this project, and he will help us write the next chapter in Aston Martin Aramco’s Formula 1 story.”

What happened in the Adrian Newey press conference at Aston Martin HQ?

PlanetF1.com’s Sam Cooper was at Aston Martin’s special press conference held to announce the arrival of Newey at the team, and he was able to provide us with behind-the-scenes insight into what went on at an intriguing day at Silverstone .

When does Adrian Newey start work at Aston Martin?

Having confirmed when the announcement came that he would be leaving Red Bull that his departure would fall ‘in the first quarter of 2025’, Newey looks set to start work at Aston Martin on 2nd March 2025.

The team say his primary focus in that time will be working on their 2026 car, with Formula 1 taking in a seismic regulation change that season as both the chassis and power unit regulations undergo a shift.

Read next: Five reasons why Adrian Newey’s big-money Aston Martin move makes sense