Adrian Newey has explained how his arrival at Aston Martin went against the grain in terms of his illustrious Formula 1 career.
Newey left Red Bull midway through the 2024 season to sign with the Silverstone-based team as its Managing Technical Partner, a position he took up in March.
With 26 F1 titles to his name, the Briton is expected to bring the same level of ingenuity that helped previous teams such as Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull etch a dominant dynasty.
Newey has been handed the task of nailing the upcoming 2026 regulations for Aston Martin – a mix of light and nimble aerodynamics powered by a true hybrid power unit.
That said, while he seems to have settled in well within the squad, he did reveal that he was taken aback by one aspect of his early days with the team.
“When you join a new team, it’s always difficult to know what the experience is going to be,” he said in an internal Aston Martin interview.
“Every time I’ve joined a new team, each has been very different.
“The first thing I can say about the team is that everyone has been very welcoming, which is great – it hasn’t always been the case when I’ve started with a new team.
“This is a team that has grown a lot in headcount over a very short space of time.
“We have great facilities, people are keen and enthusiastic, and it is our job to get on and get everything working smoothly.
“F1 is about people: yes, there is a lot of technology, but it’s people who drive things forward.”
The Aston Martin pitch that convinced Newey
When Newey announced his departure from Red Bull, speculation was rife about his next venture.
For a time, it seemed as though the 66-year-old was going to sign with Ferrari – a team that he had expressed his desire to work with in the past.
But a reported lack of operational autonomy offered by the Italian marque’s boss Fred Vasseur meant the talks between the duo quickly broke down.
Newey wanted to be more than just a designer or an employee. He wanted to lead a project. This is where Lawrence Stroll’s approach at Aston Martin took Newey’s fancy.
“When I was chatting to Lawrence Stroll, discussing the future, he came up with the suggestion of Managing Technical Partner,” he addressed.
“Lawrence has very kindly trusted me to be his partner, developing the technical side of the team, driving our technical abilities forward and improving our engineering prowess.”
READ MORE – Jonathan Wheatley reveals moment that triggered Red Bull exit
