Aston Martin has finally announced at today’s press conference ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix the signing of Adrian Newey, after weeks of speculations in the F1 world. The Briton is set to join the team on a multi-year deal valued at £30 million per year, which makes him one of the highest earners in the sport, even bigger than most of the drivers on the current grid.

Adrian Newey is one of the most successful and influential figures in Formula 1, renowned for his expertise in designing championship-winning race cars. His career in motorsport began in the 1980s, working in IndyCar before transitioning to Formula 1. He gained fame with teams like Williams and McLaren in the 1990s, where his cars helped secure multiple World Championships for drivers such as Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, and Mika Häkkinen.

Since joining Red Bull Racing in 2006, Newey's innovations have transformed the team into a dominant force, leading to multiple championship wins, including their four consecutive titles from 2010 to 2013 with Sebastian Vettel and recent successes with Max Verstappen.

Newey had already worked with Aston Martin in the past, concretely on the Aston Martin Valkyrie high-performance hypercar, which was developed in collaboration with Red Bull Racing and introduced in 2017, with production starting in 2021. 

“I am thrilled to be joining the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team,” said Newey.

“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," he added.

Lawrence Stroll then 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. 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."

Newey's arrival represents another major investment by Aston Martin under Lawrence Stroll’s leadership, as he aims to transform the former financially struggling Force India/Racing Point team into a world championship contender.