SILVERSTONE, UK, Sept 10 (Askume) – Aston Martin boss Lawrence Stroll hailed Adrian Newey as a good deal as he announced the star’s design division will join his Formula 1 team as a technical partner and shareholder in March next year.
Newey, 65, said in May that he would leave championship-winning Red Bull to find a new challenge , having led the Silverstone-based team to the title.
The 2025 season is scheduled to begin with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 16, which will be the final season before the new engine era and major regulatory changes in 2026. The new season will begin on March 1.
“I can tell you, Adrian is a great deal,” Stroll said of the man who will be paid between 20 and 30 million pounds ($26 to $39 million) per year — making him one of the top paid players in the world.
“I’ve been in this business for 40 years and I’ve never been more confident. It’s not an investment. He’s a shareholder and a partner,” the Canadian said, calling Newey a key factor in the team’s title win.
“We plan to be together for the long term. So everything Adrian brings to the partnership is relatively affordable.”
Aston Martin is currently in fifth place but Newey has been impressed with the owner’s vision and luxury features and is looking forward to helping them reach greater heights.
“They have all the key infrastructure needed to make Aston Martin a world championship-winning team and I am very much looking forward to helping them achieve this,” the Briton said.
He described the Aston Martin as a unique “vintage” car because it was actively driven by a wealthy owner due to his passion.
Newey-designed cars have won 25 drivers’ and constructors’ championships for Williams, McLaren and Red Bull. His 2023 Red Bull Racing team has 21 wins in 22 races, the most impressive win haul in the sport’s history.
Newey, who has also been hired by Ferrari and McLaren, will have overall responsibility for the 43-year-old car which is driven by two-time world champion Fernando Alonso – with whom he has always wanted to work – and Stroll’s son Lance.
The team also recruited top talent from competitors.
Former Mercedes engine chief Andy Cowell was appointed the new chief executive in July, replacing ex-McLaren chief Martin Whitmarsh, while former Ferrari technical director Enrico Cardile has also arrived.
Aston Martin has entered into an exclusive five-year partnership with Red Bull’s current engine supplier Honda, starting in 2026.
Stroh said he decided to sign a contract with the Navy after the designer became available and initial conversations confirmed mutual interest.
He said: “This is the biggest story since Aston Martin’s return to the sport and is proof of our ambition to build a Formula One team capable of competing for the world championship.”
“Adrian is a racing driver and one of the most competitive people I’ve ever met. When he saw what we built at Silverstone… he immediately understood what we really cared about, he wanted the same goals.
($1 = 0.7642 British pounds)
