According to reports, Aston Martin has signed legendary F1 designer Adrian Newey after striking a massive $100 million deal.
Aston Martin’s ambitious strategy to elevate its Formula 1 performance has taken a significant step forward with the reported signing of renowned F1 aerodynamics designer Adrian Newey.
The Italian publication Autosprint has indicated that the 65-year old has agreed to a four-year deal valued at an astonishing $100 million, which would make him one of the highest-paid figures in the sport.
This comes as the car designer is set to leave the Red Bull team in the early summer of 2025 which has sparked a lot of speculation over his future, with rumours linking him to almost every team on the grid.
Although Newey has officially stated that he wants to take a break from F1 when he leaves the Milton Keynes outfit next year, he is currently on a soft gardening leave while working with the brand to bring the RB17 hypercar to fruition after stepping back from the F1 side of the company.
Rumours about Newey joining Ferrari or Aston Martin have been circulating the longest; and according to speculation, the Scuderia seemed to be the frontrunner in securing his services while being among the few leading teams that he has never worked for.
However, the Italian brand has stepped back from the negotiations as a result of the Newey’s financial demands as well as intentions to tag along 20 Red Bull engineers to Maranello.
This leaves Aston Martin as the only potential suitor to lure in the British engineer. The squad has been undergoing a makeover with billionaire team owner Lawrence Stroll transforming the former Jordan/Force India team’s resources, facilities, and infrastructure.
Therefore, Silverstone-based Marque can now provide Newey with everything he needs to take on the challenge of helping the upper-midfield team which would be a game-changer as the team has struggled to compete at the front of the grid recently.
In an article that appeared in the magazine on Thursday, Italian magazine Autosprint claims unequivocally that Newey has opted to remain with a UK-based team instead of relocating to Italy to integrate himself into the vastly different Ferrari milieu.
The magazine further reported Newey signed a $100 million four-year deal, supplemented by performance-related bonuses and also suggests that an announcement could be made as early as September.
According to the report, “the agreement will be announced at the beginning of September because, until August, all contractual ties between the designer and Red Bull prevent any type of communication that is not linked to their employment relationship.”
However, while securing Newey’s services could significantly boost Aston Martin’s performance, the team faces several challenges.
The integration of a high-profile figure like Newey into the existing structure, which includes other notable hires such as team principal Mike Krack and technical director Dan Fallows, will require careful management.
Each of these individuals brings a unique vision and approach to the team, and aligning their strategies will be crucial for success.
