Legendary Formula 1 designer Adrian Newey has officially confirmed his departure from Red Bull Racing to join Aston Martin F1 as a shareholder and Managing Technical Partner effective March 1, 2025.
The F1 design genius, who has been the chief technical officer at Red Bull since 2006, will remain with the team until the first quarter of 2025 to complete his work on the RB17 hypercar.
Adrian Newey’s move to Aston Martin is seen as a significant coup for the team, as he is widely regarded as one of the greatest engineers in F1 history. His designs have won numerous titles and more than 200 Grands Prix, with seven different drivers winning thirteen Drivers’ Championships in Newey’s cars.
After designing championship-winning Formula 1 cars for Williams and McLaren, the 65-year-old joined Red Bull in 2006, where his cars won the Formula One drivers’ and constructors’ championships consecutively from 2010 to 2013, the drivers’ championship in 2021, and both championships in 2022 and 2023.
The Newey-designed RB19 is the most successful Formula One car in history, winning 21 out of the 22 races (95.45%) it competed in.
However, he announced his decision to leave the team after 19 years at Milton Keynes allegedly linked to the power struggle within the Austrian team following the death of Dietrich Mateschitz in 2022.
The Brit’s move to Aston Martin F1 is part of the team’s ambitious plans to establish itself among the top teams in Formula 1. He will work with two-time world champion Fernando Alonso who drives for the Silverstone outfit alongside Lance Stroll the son of the team’s owner.
The team will hope that Newey can play a key role in the design of their car for 2026 F1, which sees the introduction of new regulations and presents a major opportunity for the team to make a significant leap forward.
“I am thrilled to be joining the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team,” Newey said. “I have been hugely inspired and impressed by the passion and commitment that Lawrence Stroll 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.”
Newey’s signing is a significant show of ambition from Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll, who is determined to create a world-beating team.
Stroll has invested heavily in the team’s infrastructure, including the development of the new AMR Technology Campus and wind tunnel at Silverstone, which are state-of-the-art facilities that create a great environment to work in.
“This is huge news!” Lawrence 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 One 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 One story.”
Adrian Newey’s move to Aston Martin is a significant loss for Red Bull, but the team has already begun the process of finding a replacement for him. Team green has appointed Dan Fallows, who previously worked with Newey at Red Bull, as technical director, and has also hired Enrico Cardile from Ferrari to take on the chief technical officer role.
Despite his departure, Newey’s legacy at Red Bull will be long-lasting. His designs have been instrumental in the team’s success over the past decade, and his influence will continue to be felt in the team’s future cars.
The Milton Keynes outfit has also secured a long-term partnership with Honda, which will provide the team with power units for the foreseeable future.
