Aston Martin Racing has officially won the battle over Adrian Newey, with the legendary Formula 1 designer taking up a role as Managing Technical Partner next year as well as becoming a shareholder.
In a newly created role at the Silverstone-based team, Newey will oversee the ambitious squad's crucial 2026 car design for F1's all-new technical regulations.
Newey's signature had been widely coveted after he announced his departure from Red Bull ahead of May's Miami Grand Prix, which came in the wake of the world champion squad's behind-the-scenes power struggles.
Newey initially signalled his intention to take a break from F1 while finishing his RB17 hypercar project for Red Bull, but negotiated an early release from his contract that would allow him to join a rival team from March 2025 onwards.
Ferrari was long thought to be the frontrunner to secure Newey's services as a consultant, with Newey admitting he was keen to work together with 2025 Ferrari signing Lewis Hamilton.
Instead, the 65-year-old will tick off a different bucket list item by joining forces with fellow world champion Fernando Alonso.
On Tuesday Aston Martin finally announced Newey would join its ranks from 1 March 2025, bolstering an already star-studded technical line-up that includes the likes of technical director Dan Fallows and recent Ferrari hire Enrico Cardile.
Speaking about his decision, Newey said Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll's ambitious plans to march to the front of the F1 grid, which include a brand-new campus and state-of-the-art wind tunnel, convinced him to join the squad.
“I am thrilled to be joining the Aston Martin Formula 1 team," Newey said. "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 create a world-beating team. He is the only majority team owner who is actively engaged in the sport. 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 to work in.
"Together with great partners like Honda and Aramco, they have all the key pieces of infrastructure needed to make Aston Martin a world championship-winning team and I am very much looking forward to helping reach that goal.”
Stroll said Newey's hire was a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" for his team as well as a statement of intent for what he is setting out to achieve.
"Adrian is the best in the world at what he does – he is at the top of his game – and I am incredibly proud that he is joining the Aston Martin Formula 1 team.
"It’s another demonstration of our ambition to build a Formula 1 team capable of fighting for world championships. As soon as Adrian became available, we knew we had to make it happen.
"Our initial conversations confirmed that there was a shared desire to collaborate in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Adrian is a racer and one of the most competitive people I have ever met.
"When he saw what we have built at Silverstone – our incredible AMR Technology Campus, the talented group of people we have assembled and the latest wind tunnel in the sport – he quickly understood what we are trying to achieve."
In storied stints with Williams, McLaren and Red Bull, Newey's car designs won 12 drivers' and 13 constructors' championships.
