Whats the Word on the Track? The Formula 1 rumor mill is always spinning, so Terry Widdows from Coffee Corner Motorsport is here to shine a light on the facts, figures, and break down the real stories behind the headlines.
The worst kept secret in Formula 1 is out and Adrian Newey has signed for Aston Martin. The legendary car designer had his pick of the paddock after announcing back in May that he was leaving Red Bull, but the Team from Silverstone has won the race for his services!
Just why has the allure of Aston Martin captured a man with nothing to prove but potentially everything to lose with this move?
We know that while the comments about working with Adrian were genuine from a host of teams - after all the dust had settled there seemed just 2 main contenders for his services.
Ferrari and Aston Martin. There was a late bid from Alpine that entered the fray and, of course, an old F1 romantic like myself would have loved to have seen him back at Williams. However, it was these two financial heavyweights that had not only the vision that aligned with Adrian but also the financial backing to go alongside it.
It would be wrong to dismiss this side of the Aston Martin deal whilst money is not the primary focus, the deal from Aston Martin for someone who it's fair to say is in the last stages of his career is no doubt going to play a part in the decision.
However before we dive into 'why Aston Martin', we need to switch garages and ask a bigger question...
The stage looked set. The most successful designer in F1 history. The dream of Ferrari - something Adrian has said almost prompted him to turn his back on Milton Keynes for Marenello before... That, coupled with an offer that may not have been as much as Aston Martin, but would have certainly been a substantial deal. AND, of course, not only working with Charles Leclerc but the opportunity to potentially deliver a record 8th Title for Lewis Hamilton...
I first heard the Aston Martin news at the end of July, and I'm the first to admit it caught me off guard. We are starting to hear more of why Adrian said no, but, admittedly, we haven't actually heard Adrians version yet.
Noting that these factors ARE rumor - the highly charged political nature of Ferrari alone could be enough to say no.
Another factor that may or may not have played a part is one of a more personal nature to the designer, and that is the way he was treated following the tragic death of Ayrton Senna.
After the tragic death 30 years ago in Imola, Adrian was among several members of the Williams team to be charged with Manslaughter by the Italian authorities at an initial ruling. In December 1997 Newey was acquitted, and despite an appeal the acquittal was upheld in November 1999.
In 2003 there was a new trial for Adrian and Patrick Head ordered due to material errors thought to relate to the appeal process in the previous trials that went on for another two years before being ended in May 2005.
These cases were highly political - with teams even threatening to boycott Italy as a venue for races at one point due to the charges. While the cases have not been discussed much, for a designer who admits to almost walking away from the sport after the accident... An accident that changed him not only physically but mentally... one can only guess what these cases and charges also added to the stress at the time.
Just maybe this is also another reason why Adrian may have been reluctant to name Italy as his new home.
With the news from his old school friend, Jeremy Clarkson, telling fans that Adrian was looking for a house in Oxfordshire, all eyes switched to the green of Aston Martin.
Before Lawrence Stroll was the owner, the Aston Martin logo was on the rear of the Red Bull and there was the joint Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing Advanced Technologies AM-RB 001 ... or its most common name the "Aston Martin Valkyrie" designed by Adrian Newey starting back in 2016.
While that relationship remains, there is now a different vision that's been brought to life a stone throw away from the Silverstone track on the site of Adrian’s manager Eddie Jordan’s old factory that has caught his eye.
In the rubble of the old, outdated Jordan factory, a new home has sprung up. A state of the art £200m building boasting the best facilities to offer in F1. A new wind tunnel ready for the new regulations about to come in 2026 and a vision to take this iconic brand to the top no matter the cost.
The stage is set, Aston Martin not only have a state of the art building for 2026, but they also have secured sole supply of Honda engines. Honda has worked closely with Adrian during these championship winning seasons with Red Bull and will no doubt be boasting new personnel after Red Bull Powertrains acquired a lot of talent from them. The benefit of having an engine supplier focussing solely on your cars cant be underestimated.
There are also other projects which Adrian may be used for including Le Mans, WEC and even road car projects. The move to Aston Martin opens up the potential of so much more than F1 for someone who likes to stretch their talents.
The only question mark remains the driver line up. There is no doubting the quality of Fernando Alonso, but at his age, he will need instant results. There is of course the ongoing debate about the merits of Lance Stroll being in the Aston Martin lineup due to his family ties.
With a dream team engineering line up now complete, all of the tools in place, PLUS a boss who demands a championship trophy in the newly built trophy room at Silverstone, this move could shake the grid up. However, on the other side, failure could prove to be very costly for Aston Martin.
It seems Lawrence has bet everything on this being the final piece of the puzzle.
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