Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll says star signing Adrian Newey was a “bargain” after making the legendary designer the technical leader and future shareholder of his Formula 1 team.
After months of speculation Aston Martin finally confirmed on Tuesday that Newey would be joining the Silverstone-based squad from 1 March 2025, when he is free to join a rival F1 team following his Red Bull exit.
As well as commanding an eye-watering salary for the newly-created role of managing technical partner, which is rumoured to put him in the region of the better-paid drivers on the grid, Newey will eventually also become a shareholder in the squad.
But according to Stroll, the 65-year-old is a bargain given what he will bring to the ambitious team, which goes beyond his input on car design but also encompasses his leadership role.
“I can tell you, Adrian is a bargain,” Stroll said. “I’ve been in business for over 40 years now and I’ve never been more certain. It’s not an investment. He’s a shareholder and a partner.
“He’s the best partner I can bring into a company, we intend to be around here a very long time together. So it’s relatively inexpensive for everything Adrian brings in the partnership we will have.”
Aston Martin has gone on a bold recruitment spree in recent months, having also poached former Ferrari technical director Enrico Cardile. Cardile will also join in 2025 as F1 chief technical officer, slotting in alongside current technical director Dan Fallows.
Adrian Newey, Aston Martin Formula One Team, Lawrence Stroll, Executive Chairman, Aston Martin Formula One Team
Photo by: Aston Martin Racing
When asked how Newey’s arrival will fit into Aston’s existing roster of technical leadership, Stroll said it was up to Newey to tweak the structure to get the most out of the wealth of talent the team has now amassed at its brand-new headquarters opposite the Silverstone circuit.
“Adrian is joining as technical managing partner,” he replied. “He will be the leader of the technical team – a leader also in the company, the business as a partner and shareholder, so I leave the [technical] structure up to Adrian, who is much better suited than myself.
“We have a strong team, some of which Adrian has already worked with. He’ll be here on a day-to-day basis, he’ll be here full-time, committed to Formula 1, giving leadership and direction to his team.”
Stroll said Newey’s statement signing was the last key piece of the puzzle as he aims to turn Aston Martin into a world championship outfit, having commissioned state-of-the-art headquarters and a brand-new wind tunnel that was pivotal in his pitch to the former Red Bull, McLaren and Williams designer.
“There have been many pieces of the puzzle from when we started six years ago,” he added.
“We’ve brought Aramco to be our partner, and to be able to bring Honda exclusively to work for us for the next five years after the new regulation starts [is important].
“Adrian is key, key, key, and the biggest part of the puzzle, certainly from a technical leadership point of view, knowing that he will be leading the team – and I think that will have a trickle-down effect throughout the whole organisation.”
