Adrian Newey leaves for Aston Martin.
The Formula 1 team announced on Tuesday that the car designer will join the team on March 1, 2025. Newey’s arrival comes after he spent the majority of the 2024 season on leave after announcing his departure from Red Bull Racing.
Newey is the most influential car designer in modern F1 history. He was Red Bull’s chief technical officer, overseeing the development of the team’s car that won 19 of 22 races last season, while Max Verstappen enjoyed his most dominant season in F1 ever. Aston Martin currently fields cars for Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.
“I am extremely inspired and impressed by the passion and dedication that [team owner Lawrence Stroll] brings to everything he is involved in,” Newey said in a statement. “Lawrence is determined to create a world-beating team. He is the only majority team owner actively involved in the sport. His dedication 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 also have a layout that creates a great environment to work in.”
That campus was critical in securing Newey’s services, as the team gave him a tour of the facility earlier this summer.
Newey’s start date means he could play a role in the design of the team’s 2026 car. Formula 1 is in the process of revising the car regulations for the 2026 season and Red Bull was the best early adopter when the car regulations were changed after the 2021 season.
Mercedes was the dominant team until 2021, but new car regulations gave Red Bull the chance to jump back to the top of F1. The team has won the last two constructors’ titles, while Verstappen has won three consecutive drivers’ titles.
This season, however, the teams have overtaken Red Bull and it remains to be seen to what extent this catch-up has to do with Newey’s departure.
One of the teams that Red Bull has yet to overtake is Aston Martin. It is in a distant fifth place in the constructors’ standings, behind Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes.
The team looked combative at the start of the 2023 season, with Alonso finishing on the podium six times in the first eight races. He has finished on the podium just twice since then.
