Last Updated on September 26 2024, 1:20 pm
Adrian Newey leaves Red Bull: Details of his move to Aston Martin revealed – Adrian Newey’s now legendary association with Red Bull Racing in Formula One has officially come to an end as new details have emerged about his high-profile move to Aston Martin.
These revelations, provided by his manager Eddie Jordan, clarify the circumstances of the move and address recent criticism from Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. The move marks a significant shift in the F1 landscape, with Newey, one of the sport’s most influential designers, now set to lend his expertise to Aston Martin from 2025.
Newey’s move to Aston Martin: the terms of the deal
Eddie Jordan, the former Formula One team owner and long-time associate of Newey, has revealed new information about the timing and nature of Newey’s move to Aston Martin. Speaking on the Formula For Success podcast, Jordan insisted that all terms of Newey’s departure from Red Bull had been strictly adhered to, particularly in relation to the agreed timetable.
The transition was marked by an agreement between Newey, Red Bull and Jordan himself to ensure the move was handled professionally.
Jordan revealed that a crucial date – September 6th – was set for any public acknowledgement of Newey’s move, a stipulation that was meticulously adhered to.
“He has a date in his contract that was set by me and Red Bull, which is September 6th. That was adhered to in every respect,” said Jordan.
This agreement was not only adhered to by Newey, but by all parties involved in the transfer negotiations.
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Horner’s frustration at Newey’s exit
Following Newey’s announcement, Christian Horner was reportedly less than pleased. “Obviously it was a big announcement from Aston Martin,” said Horner.
“Adrian has always tended to do his own thing.” Horner’s comment reflects the autonomy Newey has enjoyed throughout his career, but the timing of the announcement has caused friction.
Red Bull made it clear back in May that Adrian Newey would not be continuing with the team after the current season. But Horner is particularly frustrated that Aston Martin chose to announce the move five months before Newey’s contract with Red Bull officially ends. While such moves are not uncommon in the world of F1, where teams often poach talent from each other, the timing of Aston Martin’s announcement struck a nerve.
“It was a big moment for the team and they decided to celebrate him, perhaps a little prematurely – before he finished his contract with Red Bull Racing,” said Horner during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, making it clear that he felt the announcement could have waited until Newey had fully completed his duties at Red Bull.
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Red Bull deny Newey return?
As well as team boss Christian Horner, former Red Bull Racing driver, Robert Doornbos, has expressed his dissatisfaction with Adrian Newey’s much publicised move to Aston Martin claiming that the team won’t let Newey “get away with this” and that he should not show up to work this week after agreeing to the Aston Martin presentation last week.
Despite joining Aston Martin, Newey is still contracted to Red Bull until March 2025, where he will continue to be involved in the development of the RB17 hypercar.
Doornbos explained that Horner finds it particularly galling that Newey can be seen promoting Aston Martin one day and then returning to work on Red Bull projects the next. Indeed how could Red Bull allow Newey back in the factory with his Red Bull hat back on?
“He’s just done an announcement standing in front of an Aston Martin logo and then he jumps in his car and drives to Milton Keynes to work on the RB17,” Doornbos said, highlighting the unusual situation.
“He only has to drive 27 kilometres between the two factories, but what’s going on here? Do you think you can get away with it?” hinting at the fact that Newey is unlikely to be too welcome back at the Red Bull factory in Milton Keynes.
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A stormy exit for Newey
The tension between Newey’s current commitments to Red Bull and his future with Aston Martin has left a sour taste in the mouths of many at Red Bull, including Horner. Doornbos suggests that Horner and the team are likely to remove Newey from the racing environment altogether, with the famed designer now being asked to work on the RB17 remotely.
“He won’t be travelling to the races any more, he’ll just be finishing the RB17 from a distance,” speculates Doornbos.
For a man who has been so integral to Red Bull’s success, this is an awkward and less than celebratory exit. Doornbos, like many others, sees it as a disappointing end to a highly successful relationship between Newey and Red Bull.
“It is not a nice exit after so much success,” lamented Doornbos.
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Jordan: Red Bull’s timetable was adhered to!
More recently, Eddie Jordan’s comments come in response to comments made by Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner, who expressed his disappointment at the timing of Newey’s presentation to Aston Martin.
Horner had described the move as “a little premature”, suggesting that the unveiling of Newey’s future role at Aston Martin had come sooner than was appropriate.
However, Jordan, who spoke candidly, pushed back on Horner’s claims. He was adamant that there had been no breach of contract and that the agreed timetable had been adhered to at every stage.
“I can assure you that I don’t know of anyone who has breached the agreement. So everything has been done to respect that and Adrian has been very demanding in that respect,” Jordan said.
Newey’s unveiling by Aston Martin took place on 10 September, with the announcement confirming that he will officially begin work with the team on 1 March 2025. At that time, Newey will assume the position of Managing Technical Partner, bringing his unparalleled design expertise to Aston Martin’s Silverstone headquarters. His role will also include becoming a shareholder in the growing team, underlining the importance of this partnership for both Newey and Aston Martin.
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The negotiations behind the move
Jordan also shed some light on the behind-the-scenes negotiations that facilitated Newey’s move to Aston Martin. Describing the deal as “probably the best thing I’ve ever done”, Jordan emphasised the careful and discreet nature of the talks, ensuring that all parties involved acted with the utmost professionalism.
According to Jordan, several Formula One teams were interested in Newey’s services. Ferrari and McLaren were both mentioned as potential suitors, but Jordan praised the professionalism shown by these rival teams throughout the process. Ultimately, it was Aston Martin who secured Newey’s services, a coup that is expected to significantly boost their competitive aspirations in Formula One.
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Newey’s current role at Red Bull
Despite the anticipation surrounding his move to Aston Martin, Adrian Newey remains under contract to Red Bull until March 2025. However, his involvement with Red Bull’s Formula One project will end in May 2024. While he continues to work on the RB17 hypercar project for Red Bull’s high performance road car division, Newey’s focus has shifted away from the F1 team he helped to dominate over the past decade.
The RB17 hypercar, a limited edition supercar, is one of Newey’s final contributions to Red Bull Racing.
His work on this ambitious project reflects the engineering brilliance that has defined his career, and the hypercar is a fitting end to his time with the team.
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Looking Ahead: Newey at Aston Martin
Adrian Newey’s forthcoming role at Aston Martin is being hailed as a game-changer for the team. Aston Martin have made significant strides in recent years and the addition of Newey to the technical staff is a clear statement of their ambitions.
As Managing Technical Partner, Newey is likely to play a key role in shaping the future direction of the team, both in terms of car design and overall competitiveness.
His move is also testament to Aston Martin’s growing appeal in the F1 paddock. Having secured key personnel from other leading teams, the British outfit is positioning itself as a serious contender for future championships. With Newey’s vast experience and a track record that includes multiple world championships, Aston Martin’s future in Formula One looks brighter than ever.
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