New recruit Adrian Newey will be involved in Formula 1 at Aston Martin full-time from 2025 – Why a part-time solution was not an option for his role
It is “the most exciting day in the team’s history”, said Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll at a major press conference on Tuesday lunchtime, at which the Silverstone-based team officially announced the signing of Formula 1 designer Adrian Newey from 2025
It was no longer a big secret that Newey would be joining Aston Martin. But now it is also clear that Newey’s commitment is by no means just a PR stunt. The 65-year-old will be fully involved in the Formula 1 project at Aston Martin.
“He will be here every day,” announced team owner Lawrence Stroll, explaining that Newey will be working ‘full-time’ at Silverstone. Officially, the Briton, who will start work in March 2025, has been given the title of “Managing Technical Partner.”
Stroll explains: “He will be the leader of the technical team and, as a partner and shareholder, also a leader on the business side.” For the first time in his long career, Newey will also appear as a partner in a Formula 1 team.
He himself reveals that his move to Aston Martin was a “natural decision”. “It’s always a big step to change teams,” says Newey, who explains that with a new team, for example, you first have to ‘understand how everyone works.’
Why Newey stepped down from Red Bull
“It takes time and dedication,” says Newey, who therefore explains: “As soon as I start, I will be fully involved. I have to be.” While he was no longer 100 percent involved at Red Bull before he left, he says that such a model would not currently work at Aston Martin.
After the major rule change for the 2022 season, he “withdrew somewhat” from the Bulls because the team was very well positioned and the cars for 2023 and 2024 were just an “evolution” of the RB18 from 2022
In contrast, he has a “fresh challenge” ahead of him at Aston Martin, as the next major rule change in Formula 1 is due in 2026. And this will require Newey’s full commitment, which is why working part-time would not be possible.
“The good news is that I’ve been working on the track in motorsport since 1982 in Formula 2,” says Newey. He has been involved in Formula 1 since 1988 “almost without a break”. This is another reason why he wants to take a longer vacation before starting work at Aston Martin so that he can then start “fully recovered” and motivated.
Newey at the head of the technical team
When asked if Newey is the most important piece of the puzzle for Aston Martin on the road to success so far, Lawrence Stroll replies: “There have been many pieces of the puzzle.” One, for example, is “the great management team we have today”, says the Canadian.
However, he also clarifies: “Adrian is […] definitely the most important piece of the puzzle from a technical point of view and from a technical leadership point of view. He will lead the team and I think that will have an effect on the whole organization.”
What exactly the structure of the technical team at Aston Martin under Newey will look like from 2025 has not yet been decided. Stroll explains that Newey will decide this himself because he has much more knowledge than he does in this regard.
Aston Martin recently announced the appointment of Enrico Cardile, who previously worked as head of chassis technology at Ferrari. Like Newey, the Italian will start work at Silverstone in 2025