Adrian Newey to join Aston Martin Aramco F1 team

Aston Martin F1 has announced that Adrian Newey will be joining the team as Managing Technical Partner from March 1 2025. In the presentation at Aston Martin F1’s headquarters in Silverstone, Aston Martin executive chairman Lawrence Stroll also introduced Newey as ‘first and foremost, a shareholder’, indicating that the move to Aston has satisfied a long-held ambition of Newey’s to be invested in the outfit for which he works at the highest level.

Newey, who designed the Aston Martin Valkyrie road car during the Red Bull F1 team's short brand partnership with Aston Martin between 2016 and 2020, left his role as Red Bull Racing’s Chief Technology Officer earlier this year. Newey has since been on the sidelines at Red Bull working on the RB17 track-only hypercar.

Speculation has been rife as to where he would end up, with many supposing he would move to Maranello and Ferrari in tandem with Lewis Hamilton. Others suspected he might return to his original winning team Williams in a full circle move that kept him close to home. All the while rumours continued to circulate about Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll’s attempts to lure Newey to Team Silverstone.

During the press conference, Newey emphasised that Lawrence Stroll’s style as an ‘active’ ‘old-school’ team owner attracted him. On departure from Red Bull, he didn’t know what was to come but felt that he needed a ‘new challenge’ and that the ‘chance to be a shareholder and a co-owner’ made the move feel ‘natural’.

Needless to say, Newey's career has been one of near peerless distinction, with some 25 Formula 1 wins - across the drivers’ and constructors’ championships - to his credit over a 36-year career.

The obvious question for evo readers will be whether he is to have any involvement in the conception of Aston Martin's road cars going forward. The official comment is that for now, Newey's role will consist of concentrating on F1 and particularly, the 2026 rule change and the incoming Honda power unit partnership.

‘I am thrilled to be joining the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team’ Newey said in an official release.

‘I have been hugely inspired and impressed by the passion and commitment that Lawrence brings to everything he is involved with. 

‘Lawrence is determined to create a world-beating team. He is the only majority team owner who is actively engaged in the sport. His commitment is demonstrated in the development of the new AMR Technology Campus and wind tunnel at Silverstone, which are not only state of the art but have a layout that creates a great environment to work in.

‘Together with great partners like Honda and Aramco, they have all the key pieces of infrastructure needed to make Aston Martin a world championship-winning team and I am very much looking forward to helping reach that goal.’

During the press conference, Newey later clarified that he perceived the biggest challenge of his new appointment would be developing ‘department synergy’. That is, getting what he sees as the three main performance elements of an F1 car, the power unit, the aerodynamics and the driving dynamics, to work cohesively within the incoming 2026 rules.

On the opportunity to work with two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, Newey explained that at points over the years, the two had been ‘arch enemies’, but that ‘he’s a legend of the sport’ that he looks forward to working with.

In response, Alonso, who was present for the press conference, reflected saying ‘we all had to raise the bar because of Adrian. For me this is an incredible opportunity’.

Lawrence Stroll, Executive Chairman, Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team, said: 'This is huge news. 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 One team capable of fighting for world championships. As soon as Adrian became available, we knew we had to make it happen.

'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 One story.'