Aston Martin has finally confirmed that the legendary Formula 1 designer Adrian Newey will join the British outfit in 2025, signing a 5-year deal that is reportedly worth a staggering £30 million (~$59 million AUD) a year… and it’ll prove to be an absolute bargain.
Cast your mind back to every Formula 1 champion of the last 30 years: Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill, and Jacques Villeneuve in the 1990s; Mika Häkkinen, Sebastian Vettel, and of course, Max Verstappen. Nearly half of the dominant teams, revolutionary car designs, and title-winning innovations over the past three decades can be traced back to one man—Adrian Newey.
From the days of Williams’ and McLaren’s supremacy in the 1990s to Red Bull’s reign in the 2010s, Newey’s touch has shaped the very fabric of F1; his ability to analyse and interpret the stringent regulations imposed on teams and their cars is second to none.
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It’s not just his engineering brilliance that sets him apart—it’s his knack for innovation and pushing the cars to their absolute limits, finding extra millimetres of advantage in aerodynamics, weight distribution, and downforce, that others often overlook.
Since joining Formula 1 in 1988, Newey has been instrumental in winning an astounding 13 Constructors’ Championships and 12 Drivers’ Championships with three different teams, making him the most decorated designer in the history of the sport.
So when he announced his decision to leave Red Bull after 18 years, rumours were rife as to where his next destination would be, with many suggesting that the chance to link up with Charles Leclerc and seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari was too good an opportunity to turn down.
“Adrian Newey is house hunting in Oxfordshire, not Maranello.”
Jeremy Clarkson at the British Grand Prix
But after months of speculation (and leaks), Aston Martin has confirmed that Newey will take over the British team’s technical department from the 2025 season. It’s a massive coup for Aston and its billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll, who has seemingly been obsessively working to transform Aston Martin into a championship-winning F1 team since taking over, one piece at a time.
Newey’s appointment is just the latest in a string of multi-million dollar investments made by Stroll into his F1 team, including a new state-of-the-art facility in Silverstone, a cutting-edge wind tunnel, and the recruitment of hundreds of top engineers. In addition to signing Andy Cowell from Mercedes and Enrico Cardile from Ferrari, Stroll has also secured Honda as an engine partner for the 2026 season.
Adrian Newey’s Aston Martin contract
It’s reported that Adrian Newey will earn somewhere in the region of £30 million (~$59 million AUD) a year, a contract that will run until the 2030 season worth a staggering £180 million (~$300 million AUD). The move will make Newey one of the highest-paid non-athletes in any sport in the world.
“Adrian is a bargain. I have never been more certain. He is a shareholder, a partner, the best partner to have in a company and we intend to be around for a very long time together, so it’s relatively inexpensive for everything Adrian brings to the partnership.”
Lawrence Stroll, Aston Martin Executive Chairman
With former F1 champion Fernando Alonso and his son Lance Stroll secured for the future, Aston Martin’s long-term vision is clearer than ever.
The combination of Alonso’s vast experience, Newey’s unmatched technical expertise, and the immense resources invested in the team creates a formidable recipe for success. Newey’s staggering contract is simply another crucial piece of the Aston Martin puzzle, bringing a new level of engineering brilliance to steer the team towards greatness, and potentially, a championship-winning team of the future.