Aston Martin’s star recruit Adrian Newey has already spoken his first words as a shareholder and technical advisor to the British team. He did so during the press conference for his unveiling at the Silverstone factory, where he assured that he was eager to get back to work after the mandatory six-month break.
“For Lawrence (Stroll),” he joked when asked why he opted for Aston Martin. “I needed a new challenge and towards the end of April I decided I wanted to do something different. I spent a lot of time with my wife debating what to do next. We took our time deciding and I was very fortunate to have been able to achieve what I had aspired to do since I was a child,” he said.
“That desire to become a motorsport engineer and everything else was a bonus. I couldn’t have imagined doing it straight out of university. You have to be honest with yourself, stay fresh and I needed a new challenge to do that. “I took my time,” he continued of his decision.
Newey praised the work of the British team owner: “Lawrence and I have gotten to know each other over the years and we usually meet at races in the Middle East and as I have said before and announced to everyone, I will be leaving my old team and I am flattered that many teams have been interested, but Lawrence’s passion and optimism is very convincing.
“If you look back 20 years, what we call team principals were the owners and in this new era, he is the only owner of a team that is really active and it is a different feeling to see him involved. The opportunity to be a shareholder and partner is something that has never been offered to me. It is a different role that I want to develop,” he recalled.
“These facilities are just incredible. It’s not easy to build a new factory that is so welcoming, with good solutions and with good communication from the whole team. It feels good, the proportions are right… I’m really looking forward to getting started, getting to know everyone and working with them. Let’s see how it goes,” he said.
“We know that the powertrain is changing and Honda is working and will work very hard on that. I am excited to continue working with them. They are very good engineers and easy to work with as well. On the chassis side, the aerodynamic regulations will be announced in early January and I will join shortly after. It is equally important to know everyone. The 2026 rules are an opportunity because everyone will reset. Whether we can take advantage of that or not, we just don’t know. I think about doing the best job possible and what needs to be will be,” he promised.
“All F1 teams are the same: three departments which are mechanical, aerodynamics and performance. We have to make sure we have synergies between them and with Honda in the power unit. We will have more interactions than ever, but there is a good project,” he assured.
Newey did not want to make any big predictions and announced that he would focus on his work: “I don’t know before I start, there’s no point in predicting anything at the moment. We would like to have a good 2025 naturally. For me, it will be about working with everyone and doing the best we can together.
“I think that after Ferrari, Aston Martin is the most iconic brand. It’s something special. “I’m also linked to the Valkyrie project and I have classic Aston Martins and I love being linked to that magic,” he said. “I can’t answer because it’s not something I think about. I like to reach out, work with everyone and do it in different ways. One is alone, at my drawing board, the second way and to a greater extent is to work with my engineers and the third is to go to the races and try to understand what the drivers feel or translate the sensations of the behavior of the cars into the language of engineering,” he added.
“I know Lance (Stroll) from his F3 days. He dominated the second half of the year. Fernando and I fought for many years and he was sometimes my nemesis. We were close to him joining Red Bull in 2008 for the 2009 season, it didn’t happen, which is a shame, but we’re still fighting against each other. “He’s a legend of the sport and I’m looking forward to working with him,” he said of the drivers.
