Adrian Newey’s arrival at Aston Martin represents a watershed moment for Aston Martin as they try to build a team that is increasingly competitive in its bid to win the world title. If anyone can shift the balance of power within a team, then Newey, who helped guide his last three teams (Williams, McLaren and Red Bull) to multiple championship successes, is the leading candidate.
His list of 12 constructors’ titles and 13 drivers’ championships won with his cars shows how important he can be in the creation of a car. But success in F1 is never due to a single individual. The greatest geniuses in the world will never achieve success if they do not have the right people and infrastructure around them, such as the most modern technologies and a high-level staff.
This is something Newey is more than aware of, and it also explains why he wanted to secretly visit the new factory to understand what Aston Martin could offer. The legendary designer is ready for a new adventure, but can Aston Martin provide the environment he needs to thrive?
Adrian Newey, Chief Technology Officer, Red Bull Racing
Photo credit: Red Bull Content Pool
Newey doesn’t pretend for a second to be the engineer who, alone, can change the fate of a team, because his strength is providing a global vision of the car that is then realized by those who work with him. It is not up to him to design every element of a car, but to think in a broader way in order to stay one step ahead of the opponents.
To succeed in this role, Newey needs a strong team around him who can articulate his vision and trust what he wants. He got that at Red Bull and Aston Martin appears to have the right people in place to support him and execute his ideas.
With technical director Dan Fallows, he has someone he worked well with previously at Red Bull, and with quality talent in technical director Luca Furbatto, new signing Enrico Cardile, executive director Bob Bell and incoming CEO Andy Cowell, there is a wealth of talent that can be well utilised.
One of the concerns of this maneuver is that it could be difficult to insert a profile like Newey’s into a team that already has so many talents and prominent names, but Aston Martin sees things differently: the engineers hired can help Newey get the best out of himself.
Dan Fallows, Aston Martin F1 Team Technical Director
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
In terms of the tools at his disposal, Newey’s likely start next spring fits perfectly with the timescales Aston Martin is working with. The team completed its move to the Silverstone factory last year, while the new wind tunnel and simulator will be fully operational by the time Newey joins the company, taking advantage of cutting-edge technology.
There is another positive aspect to the timing of Newey’s arrival, which is that he will be joining a team that still has room to change and evolve around him, as it is constantly changing and in a different cycle to more established outfits like Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari.
“I think we shouldn’t underestimate the fact that as a team we are developing a car, but also facilities. Imagine having a maximum budget and, let’s say, being able to afford 1,000 people. We are also developing facilities, so some of the engineers are busy completing the work on the new wind tunnel which needs a calibration phase,” explains Luca Furbatto, Aston’s director of engineering.
“So if we take the analogy of 1,000 people, maybe 800 are working on the machine and 200 are developing the facilities. I think it will get better because the buildings are finished and we now have the tools. We hope to see positive results in 2025, but I think the biggest effect will be in 2026.”
All of these personnel and tools combine to suggest that, by next spring, Newey will find around him exactly what he needs to thrive.
The three new buildings at Silverstone: the wind tunnel and simulator will be fully operational for Newey’s arrival
Photo by: Aston Martin Racing
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