Adrian Newey’s move to Aston Martin was recently unveiled, coming as a shock to the F1 world. Not for the decision, so much as the timing of it. Aston Martin confirmed that they were signing design genius Newey on Tuesday at a press conference that was held at the Aston Martin factory at Silverstone ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
After exclusively working with Red Bull for nearly 19 years – his designs had earlier won titles for Williams and McLaren – and revealing that he felt ‘a little tired’, the 65-year-old Newey took a step back from his responsibilities and negotiated an early exit to join Aston Martin in 2025. In a shock move, Newey attended Aston Martin’s unveiling earlier this week with owner Lawrence Stroll and the two drivers, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. All while still being onRed Bull’s payroll.
Team Principal Christian Horner didn’t shy away from taking a dig at the ‘premature’ celebrations of the Silverstone-based team.
“Adrian has always tended to do his own thing,” said Horner at a press conference in Baku. “It was a big moment for that team and they chose to celebrate it, perhaps potentially slightly prematurely before he’s finished his contract with Red Bull.”
Although Horner specified that it wasn’t a surprise, it was clear that the team did not expect such a public celebration while Newey still works on Red Bull’s RB17 hypercar.
As Newey prepares to join Aston Martin as their new Managing Technical Partner, fans are speculating about the potential end of Red Bull’s dominance in Formula 1. With drastic changes on the horizon, zero race wins since June’s Spanish Grand Prix and Max Verstappen candidly admitting that the team is facing challenges, the future looks uncertain.
Newey’s departure will also mark the end of a strong driver-designer partnership, with Verstappen having credited Newey for his 61 Grand Prix victories and three world titles. In the past, Verstappen had strongly hinted that he might follow Newey if he ever left Red Bull. Newey played a key role in Verstappen‘s entry into Formula 1, and the Dutchman has never forgotten it.
While speaking to F1, Verstappen neither confirmed nor denied plans for a possible move to Aston Martin even though Alonso and Stroll have already signed contracts. An interesting twist to this story is the fact that Aston Martin Boss Mike Krack revealed that the “door is always open” to Verstappen joining the team.
With Newey’s impending move to Aston Martin and Verstappen’s future uncertain, the dynamics in Formula 1 could be set for a major shift. As Aston Martin strengthens its technical team and Red Bull navigates the challenges of life after Newey, the coming seasons promise to bring intense competition and intrigue. Whether Verstappen will stay loyal to Red Bull or follow Newey to Aston Martin remains a compelling question, leaving fans eagerly awaiting the next chapter in this evolving saga.