During a career spanning more than 40 years and 25 world championships, Formula One engineer Adrian Newey has consistently demonstrated his ability to transform unconventional ideas into elite racing cars.
In the technically precise world of Formula One, Newey’s approach has been to regularly ask four key questions: “How can we increase performance? How can we improve efficiency? How can we do this differently? How can I do this better?” These reflections were detailed in his 2017 memoir.
A master of aerodynamics, Newey is a unique figure in a sport typically dominated by the visibility of drivers. The 65-year-old’s announcement to leave reigning champions Red Bull this year incited widespread speculation, though few believed retirement would suit someone once deemed “more competitive than his drivers” by F1 legend Frank Williams.
Newey’s decision to join the Aston Martin F1 team as its managing technical partner is seen as a significant move. All eyes are on whether he can replicate his success with a fourth team, further cementing his legendary status in the industry and justifying his substantial annual pay package of over £20 million.
Former F1 team owner and Newey’s manager, Eddie Jordan, commented on the engineer’s move: “He had alternatives. He could be sailing. He has taken the opportunity to join with Lawrence Stroll to try and repeat [his success].”
Billionaire Lawrence Stroll’s recruitment of Newey signals his determination to secure championships for Aston Martin. Stroll remarked, “I can tell you, Adrian is a bargain. 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.”
Newey, who will officially start at Aston Martin next year, has been granted equity in the F1 team, an arrangement he describes as having “skin in the game.”
While Newey’s remuneration, surpassing those of many drivers and top football players, has raised some eyebrows within F1 circles, questions have also arisen about his recent contributions to Red Bull’s success. Some point to the capabilities of the broader team, including technical director Pierre Waché.
The debate regarding Newey’s credit for Red Bull’s success was highlighted last year when Newey’s wife, Amanda, dismissed an article in the industry publication, Motorsport, that discussed Red Bull’s evolving technical prowess, with a social media post calling it “a load of hogwash.”
Growing up in Stratford-upon-Avon, Newey developed a passion for engineering and automobiles from his veterinarian father who worked on cars in his garage. By age 12, he knew he wanted to design race cars for a living. He later studied aeronautics at the University of Southampton, attracted by the wind tunnel used by F1 teams, comparing race cars to aircraft.
Newey’s influence was pivotal in the sport’s embrace of aerodynamics, particularly the concept of “downforce," which enhances grip and speed around corners. His career achievements include championship-winning cars at Williams and McLaren in the 1990s and a tragic moment with the death of Ayrton Senna in a Williams car in 1994.
Recruited from McLaren by the late Dietrich Mateschitz, Red Bull’s co-founder, soon after Mateschitz acquired the old Jaguar F1 team in 2004, Newey helped the team win four consecutive championships from 2010 to 2013. Red Bull returned to dominance in 2021 with Max Verstappen’s controversial championship win and continued success with the RB19 car.
Newey’s future with Aston Martin will be closely watched, not only for his potential to elevate the team but also for how Red Bull will adapt without him, especially amid recent organizational disruptions involving team boss Christian Horner.
Newey, who prefers sketching with a pencil over using a computer, will lead Aston Martin’s drivers, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, in their bid to transform the team into champions. Aston Martin finished seventh, seventh, and fifth in the championship since Stroll rebranded the team.
Looking ahead to the 2026 F1 regulatory overhaul, Newey will be tasked with designing the next generation of more agile F1 cars with revamped aerodynamics, utilizing a newly built F1 factory and wind tunnel while Honda will supply the engine.
Damon Hill, who won a championship driving a Newey-designed Williams in 1996, asserts that Newey possesses a remarkable understanding of driver needs. Hill noted, “He understands the car is a tool for the driver and it’s no good creating a beast nobody can drive.”
Hill likens F1 to an “unexploded bomb” but believes Newey’s extensive experience equips him well for the challenges ahead. “If he can’t get [Aston Martin] out of the midfield to the front end, I’d be astonished,” Hill concluded.
