After Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, this was one of the most anticipated announcements of the 2024 Formula 1 season. One of the most renowned engineers in the paddock, Adrian Newey, has left Red Bull to join Aston Martin while remaining in England. Following his gardening leave, he started work in Silverstone last week. What have been the key milestones so far?
Adrian Newey is, without a doubt, one of the most respected engineers in Formula 1. He has led every team he worked with to success. He joined Williams in 1990, during a period of McLaren dominance. In 1992 and 1993, the Grove-based team returned to victory after five years, winning the drivers’ title first with Mansell and then with Prost. The Head-Newey duo became the dominant force of the 1990s, securing another title in 1996 with Damon Hill.
After his time at Williams, Adrian Newey moved to Woking to work with McLaren, which had been without a title since 1991. His impact was immediate—the silver car returned to the top of motorsport, winning in both 1998 and 1999. Moving into the new millennium, he then joined Red Bull, where he led both Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen to championship success in dominant fashion.
Following his announcement in 2024 that he would leave Red Bull, chaos ensued—every team wanted Adrian Newey. Initially, Ferrari seemed like a strong possibility. With one move, he could have fulfilled two dreams: working alongside Lewis Hamilton and joining one of the most successful teams in Formula 1 history. However, none of that materialized.
In the end, he was won over by Lawrence Stroll and Aston Martin, where he officially started last week. According to reports from months ago, Newey was particularly impressed by the project for the new wind tunnel at the Silverstone factory. His first visits have revolved around this very facility.
The new wind tunnel is a state-of-the-art structure inaugurated only in January. Until then, Aston Martin had been using Mercedes’ facility in Brackley. After inspecting the new tunnel, Newey participated in several meetings, including a discussion about the 2026 car concept. His work will be primarily focused on that future project.
Beyond discussions with Martin Whitmarsh, Aston Martin’s CEO, Adrian Newey spent much of his first week meeting with the heads of the engineering department. Reports indicate that he left his office each day with stacks of documents, reports, and notes to review at home in the evening. Additionally, it has been confirmed that his iconic drawing board is in place inside his office, ready for use.
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