Adrian Newey joins Aston Martin

Adrian Newey formally joined Aston Martin as Managing Technical Partner at the team's Silverstone base on 1 March 2025, a move the club announced in its September 2024 signing release. (astonmartinf1.com)) Reports since the signing state Newey’s deal runs for five years and has been widely reported at about £30 million per year—roughly a £150 million total over the contract term. (crash.net)) Aston Martin elevated Newey to the team-principal role for the 2026 campaign, but multiple outlets now report he will relinquish those leadership duties to focus exclusively on technical development amid the team’s early-season troubles. (motorsport.com)) Jonathan Wheatley has left his Audi team‑principal role “with immediate effect” and is widely reported as the leading candidate to replace Newey at Aston Martin, with confirmations and reporting from Formula1.com, Autosport and ESPN. (formula1.com)) Multiple reports say Newey has been a key internal opponent to bringing Christian Horner into Aston Martin leadership, and owner Lawrence Stroll publicly told staff in late 2025 that Horner would not be joining the team. (gpfans.com)) Aston Martin’s leadership shake-up follows a torrid on‑track start to 2026—both Aston drivers registered zero points after the first two rounds and the team suffered double retirements and reliability issues at the Australian Grand Prix. (crash.net))