Adrian Newey, a Formula 1 design expert, joined the Silverstone team in March, and his influence on his new Aston Martin team has been made public.
Since joining Red Bull in 2006, Newey has helped the team win eight drivers’ championships and six constructors’ crowns. However, he revealed halfway through the previous season that he would be leaving the Milton Keynes-based team to join the aspirational Aston Martin team.
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Aston Martin, which is owned by Lawrence Stroll, wants to contend for world titles in the future, and their 2023 campaign gave the impression that they were headed in the right direction.
However, a poor 2024 has been followed by a dismal start to 2025, despite Newey’s arrival in March.
Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso is yet to score a single point across six grands prix weekends, while Lance Stroll’s 14 points have the team down in seventh in the constructors’ championship.
Nevertheless, Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de la Rosa has now revealed the impact Newey has had on the rest of the team since making the monumental switch earlier this year.
“Adrian has a huge influence not only because he is the most talented aerodynamicist to ever be in Formula 1, but also because having him on the team brings inspiration to others,” De la Rosa told F1Sport.auto.cz.
“Everyone wants to work with Adrian and everyone wants to understand how he works.
“Just by being with us, he changes the team internally, which is something that cannot be quantified. It’s not just about the knowledge that Adrian brings, but also the emotional and inspirational side.”
Newey looking to guide 2026 F1 success
Across his legendary career, Newey-designed cars have won 12 constructors’ championship titles and 15 drivers’ championships, although the impact he had on Max Verstappen’s 2024 title may have been slightly less than in previous years.
The Brit is not, however, expected to turn around Aston Martin’s 2025 season. Newey is understood to be working almost entirely on the 2026 car, as new regulations come sweeping into the sport from next year onwards, which may see a shake-up of the competitive order.
Powered by Honda from 2026, Aston Martin harbour ambitions of becoming a consistent race-winning team in years to come, hoping to provide Alonso with machinery in which he can challenge for a third world title, although the 43-year-old’s current contract is due to run out at the end of 2026.
Although Adrian is a well-known addition to the club, he is not the only one, De la Rosa acknowledges that she is optimistic about the team’s ability to improve in the upcoming seasons.
“Moreover, we should not underestimate the huge amount of talent we already had in the team.”
