The meeting was held today conference in which Lawrence Stroll's Formula 1 team announced the entry of Adrian Newey in the stable. To break the silence of many rumors, the very same aeronautical wizard engineer and, now, technical chief and shareholder of Aston Martin.
Giving up Ferrari for Aston Martin, the reasons behind the choice
To many, it might seem crazy to reject Ferrari, one of the most important teams in the world, with decades of history, for one that, at the moment, is not in the top 5.
The engineer who has long been contested in the paddock does not share this opinion. Adrian Newey had long expressed his desire for that freedom that he had lost within Red Bull. If initially the choice was weighted towards the British team for a question of proximity to his home, it was when Stroll put the share package on the table that made the Englishman covet it.
Newey, therefore, will be allocated more than 35 million a year divided into direct compensation e share package. He did not miss the opportunity to seize the role of technical supervisor with “flexible working hours”, thus not giving up the months in his beloved home in South Africa and on the boat. Both things that could not have happened with Ferrari, which would have wanted the engineer permanently at the Maranello headquarters.
Not only corporate benefits, the contract with Honda also plays its part
With the new 2026 FIA regulations and Aston Martin’s 2025 contract with Honda added to the equation over the months, the shift in weight has made a difference.
Convinced of his choice, the new partner and supervisor of the British team, declared that he is ready to start his work in the following season, hidden in light of the investments by Lawrence Stroll.
“I am thrilled to be joining Aston Martin,” he began at the conference, “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 build a world-beating team. He is the only majority team owner who is actively involved in the sport,” he continued. “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 in which to work.”
To conclude: «Together with great partners such as Honda e Aramco, have all the key infrastructure needed to make Aston Martin a world championship-winning team and I look forward to helping achieve that goal.”
There was no doubt that the reason was mainly economic, but the contested engineer - in addition to boasting several years of experience - loves challenges and chose to take on the perhaps most difficult one.
