Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll insisted the capture of legendary designer Adrian Newey was a "bargain" after confirming his arrival at the team on Tuesday. 

Newey, who announced he would leave Red Bull in May, has put pen to paper on a reported £30million deal, signing on as Managing Technical Director and shareholder.

The 65-year-old has designed cars that have won 25 drivers' and constructors' championships for Williams, McLaren and Red Bull.

Newey was responsible for producing the most dominant car ever seen in the competition, with Red Bull winning 21 of the 22 races during the 2023 season.

Newey will stay with the reigning constructors' champions for the first quarter of 2025 though, officially joining Aston Martin on March 1 next year. 

“I can tell you Adrian is a bargain,” Stroll said. “I’ve been in business for 40 years now and I’ve never been more certain.”

After challenging to break into the traditional top four last season, Aston Martin have struggled to find consistent performances on the track this term. 

They finished on 280 points and ended up fifth in the constructors' standings last year, just 22 points behind Mercedes. 

While they are again in that position this season, they have managed just 74 points from the first 16 races, with their highest finish coming at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix when Fernando Alonso finished in fifth back in March.

Newey's arrival at Aston Martin is the latest in a string of big-name technical appointments, with Mercedes power unit chief Andy Cowell and Ferrari technical director Enrico Cardile also joining the team. 

And Stroll believes that Newey, along with the other additions, can help Aston Martin challenge once again at the top end of the grid. 

“Adrian is key, key, key, and the biggest part of the puzzle, certainly from a technical point of view, from a technical leadership point of view,” said Stroll.

“He will be leading the team and I think that will have a trickle-down effect through the whole organisation.”

Fernando Alonso believes the arrival of legendary designer Adrian Newey means Aston Martin are "the team of the future" in Formula One.

On Tuesday, Aston Martin confirmed Newey had signed on as managing technical director and also become a team shareholder, with his annual salary reported to be £30million.

Newey's departure from Red Bull was confirmed in May after his relationship with team principal Christian Horner came under strain, though he will stay with the constructors' champions through the first quarter of 2025 to work on their RB17 car.

Newey has designed 14 championship-winning cars throughout stints with Williams, McLaren and Red Bull, and Alonso believes his arrival bodes well for Aston Martin's future. 

"We've been racing against each other for many years," Alonso said as Newey was unveiled at Aston Martin's headquarters on Tuesday.

"I would say he has been more an inspiration and I think thanks to Adrian and his talent and cars, we all got better as drivers, as engineers, as teams, you know, we all had to raise the bar thanks to him to be able to compete.

"Today is an incredible day for the team. Lawrence Stroll's vision is taking shape with this building, with Adrian, Honda, with Aramco, a new wind tunnel... 

"It's definitely the team of the future I would say. For me, it's going to be an incredible professional opportunity to work with Adrian and to keep working with this green colour which I'm very proud to be part of."

Newey is also excited by the prospect of working with Alonso, revealing the two-time world champion came close to joining him at Red Bull 15 years ago. 

"Fernando of course... We've battled against each other for so many years," Newey said. "He's been a bit of an archenemy at times. 

"We came so close to him joining Red Bull for the 2009 season but unfortunately it didn't quite happen, which is a great shame. 

"So we continued to battle against each other. He's a legend of the sport, so I'm very much looking forward to working with him."

Aston Martin have announced that legendary designer Adrian Newey will join their team from March 2025.

Newey has signed on as Managing Technical Director and is a shareholder in the team, in a deal worth up to £30million.

The 65-year-old's exit from Red Bull was confirmed in May after an apparent breakdown in his relationship with team principal Christian Horner.

Newey will stay with the reigning constructors' champions for the first quarter of 2025 though, to see out his work on the RB17, the company's first hypercar.

"I am thrilled to be joining the Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team," Newey said.

"I have been hugely inspired and impressed by the passion and commitment that [team owner] Lawrence [Stroll] brings to everything he is involved with.

"Lawrence is determined to create a world-beating team. He is the only majority team owner who is actively engaged in the sport.

"His commitment is demonstrated in the development of the new AMR Technology Campus and wind tunnel at Silverstone, which are not only state of the art but have a layout that creates a great environment to work in.

"Together with great partners like Honda and Aramco, they have all the key pieces of infrastructure needed to make Aston Martin a world championship-winning team, and I am very much looking forward to helping reach that goal."

The move will see Newey working with two-time world champion Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, the team owner's son.

Newey has designed 14 championship-winning Formula 1 cars across stints with Williams, McLaren and Red Bull.

Aston Martin will be hoping he can do so again for the 2026 season, which will see the introduction of new regulations.

Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll has spoken of his desire to draw legendary designer Adrian Newey to his team.

Red Bull announced in May that Newey would leave in early 2025 after 19 years at the core of the team.

Aston Martin are reportedly set to announce a deal with the 65-year-old in the coming weeks, having emerged as the most likely destination for him, despite initial interest from Ferrari.

While Aston Martin had not previously spoken publicly about their talks with Newey, Stroll has made his admiration of him known.

"I certainly hope so. Adrian and I have been talking not only for months but actually for years," Stroll told Bloomberg.

"Adrian is clearly the most talented and gifted individual in Formula One, based on his track record and history.

"So, I'd be very excited for Adrian to join our team, as I think every other Formula One team on the grid would feel exactly the same.

"You can definitely assume that [I would pull out all the stops]."

Newey's decision to leave Red Bull was influenced by the tumultuous period behind the scenes for the reigning F1 constructors' champions.

Controversy surrounded team principal Christian Horner at the start of the season as he was accused of engaging in inappropriate controlling behaviour towards a female member of staff, accusations he denied and was cleared of following an independent investigation.

Newey will not have to serve a period of gardening leave and will be able to oversee the development of a 2026 car.

Red Bull's internal issues may hit their Formula One team down the line, so says McLaren chief Zak Brown.

While Max Verstappen remains in control of the drivers' championship, and Red Bull lead the constructors' standings, their 2024 season has been far from ideal to date.

Red Bull remain in pole on the track, but there have been issues off it as team boss Christian Horner's future appears uncertain, while lead designer Adrian Newey is leaving.

Even if they are not caught this season, McLaren chief executive Brown feels the issues will eventually catch up with Red Bull if they do not find a resolution.

And while Red Bull have scored points in each of the last 55 races, with Verstappen having seven wins this season, it was Mercedes who triumphed at the Austrian Grand Prix and Silverstone in the past two races, leaving Horner's outfit short of momentum.

Ahead of this week's Hungarian Grand Prix, Brown said: "I think the turmoil will have more of a mid to longer-term impact.

"Adrian Newey... this car was done last year, what they are racing now was done when everything was fine.

"It's more 2026 when you've got a new engine coming, what's going on with the driver front? That's where you potentially are going to see the lack of stability that appears to be there maybe come through a little bit.

"Winning holds things together and as that becomes more of a challenge for them, that's where you might see some more fractures in various relationships inside that camp."

Brown's McLaren are enjoying a fine campaign. Lando Norris, with one race win under his belt and many other near misses, sits second to Verstappen in the standings, while the team are third in the constructors' championship, just seven points behind Ferrari.

Indeed, six drivers have already tasted victory in 2024, which is the most in a single F1 season since 2012 (eight).

And Brown feels next season will be an even more intriguing battle.

"I think next year could be an epic season, right? You could have four teams fighting for the championship," he said.

"It would be naive to rule out someone who's not in the top four right now, because we do see how quickly things can change.

"Everyone has very similar technology, so there's no reason why others can't do what we've done the last year."

This weekend's race will be the 39th edition of the Hungarian Grand Prix in F1. Since its appearance on the calendar in 1986, it is one of only four races that have been held each year without interruption, along with the British Grand Prix, Italian Grand Prix and Spanish Grand Prix.

DRIVERS TO WATCH

Max Verstappen - Red Bull

Verstappen has won the last two editions of this race, and the Dutchman is aiming to become only the second driver in F1 history to win three in a row at the Hungarian Grand Prix, after Lewis Hamilton between 2018 and 2020.

But the three-time reigning champion comes into the event after finishing fifth and second in his last two outings. He has not gone three successive races without a win since 2021 and on that occasion all three victories went to Mercedes, who have won the last two races.

Is that a bad omen for Red Bull?

Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes

Hamilton celebrated his first victory since 2021 as he triumphed for Mercedes at Silverstone last time out.

The Hungarian Grand Prix has always been one of his favourite races and no driver has won it more times (eight), had more pole positions (nine), reached more podiums (11) and scored more points (271) than Hamilton at the circuit.

There is also a landmark in the offing.

Hamilton has been on the podium 199 times in his F1 career (49 with McLaren and 150 with Mercedes). His next top-three finish will see him become the first driver to finish on the podium 200 times. 

And even if Hamilton does not get a front-row placing in qualifying, do not rule him out. The last three Hungarian Grand Prix winners have not started from pole position. If this trend is repeated in 2024, it will be the second time that the winner has not started from pole position in four consecutive editions at the Hungaroring (four between 2008 and 2011).

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 255
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 171
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 150
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) - 146
5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 124

Constructors

1. Red Bull - 373
2. Ferrari - 302
3. McLaren - 295
4. Mercedes - 221
5. Aston Martin - 68

Adrian Newey admits for the first time that he expects to join another F1 team when he leaves Red Bull.

The legendary designer will depart the team in early 2025 after 19 years and is free to join a rival outfit ahead of the 2026 season.

While he did not reveal where he might go, Ferrari are regarded as favourite to land Newey as he is known to have had conversations with a Ferrari representative, while other teams have also reportedly made their interest known.

In an interview with his manager Eddie Jordan, Newey admitted he is "seriously considering changing teams, going somewhere else and doing another four or five years or whatever."

He added: "I feel a bit tired at the moment, but at some point, I’ll probably go again."

Newey’s decision to leave Red Bull was influenced by the tumultuous period behind the scenes for the Formula One constructors’ champions.

Controversy surrounded team principal Christian Horner at the start of the season as he was accused of engaging in inappropriate controlling behaviour towards a female member of staff, accusations he denied and was cleared of following an independent investigation.

Newey reflected on the decision to leave after almost two decades with the club.

"To walk away from Red Bull was a very hard decision but it was one I needed to take for a whole host of reasons. They had been my family," he continued.

"I never really thought it would be big news so for it to be in all the flipping papers and on the telly was a bit of a shock."

Adrian Newey acknowledged Lewis Hamilton's interest in working with him at Ferrari came as a flattering compliment for the outgoing Red Bull designer.

Hamilton will complete his switch to Ferrari next season as the Italian team managed to convince the seven-time world champion to leave Mercedes.

Newey will also be on the move early next year and is free to join a rival team ahead of the 2026 season.

Hamilton said working with Newey would be a "privilege", with one of the best designers in Formula One history at the top of his list of people to work with.

Those comments did not go unnoticed by Newey, who spoke to Sky Sports about a potential link-up with Hamilton ahead of the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday.

"F1 is all-consuming. I've been at it for a long time now," Newey said of his decision to leave Red Bull after joining the team in 2006.

"2021 was a really busy year because of the tight battle with Mercedes, through the championship and at the same time, putting all the research into the RB18 [the 2022 car].

"There comes a point where I just felt, as Forrest Gump said, 'I'm feeling a little bit tired'.

"It's very kind of Lewis to say that. I'm very flattered. At the moment, it's just take a bit of a break and see what happens next."

Newey's decision to part ways with Red Bull was announced on Wednesday, though the acclaimed designer says it has been on his mind for a while.

"A little while now. I guess over the winter a little bit," Newey said when asked about his intentions to depart.

"Then as events have unfolded this year, I thought, I'm in very lucky position where I don't need to work to live. I work because I enjoy it.

"I just felt now is a good time to step back a bit, take a break and take stock of life.

"Then maybe at some point I will stand in the shower and say 'right, this is going to be the next adventure'.

"But right now, there is no plan."

Lewis Hamilton says it would be "a privilege" to work with Adrian Newey if the designer chooses to join Ferrari following his departure from Red Bull.

Newey, who has been with Red Bull since 2006, will leave the team in early 2025 and is free to join a rival team ahead of the 2026 season.

Ferrari are thought to be favourites to get his signature ahead of the impending arrival of seven-time world champion Hamilton.

Asked about the possibility of pairing up with Newey, who is widely regarded as the greatest designer in Formula One history, Hamilton said: "If I was to do a list of people I would love to work with, he would absolutely be at the top of it.

"Any team would be fortunate to have the opportunity to work with him.

"Adrian has got such a great history and track record. He's obviously done an amazing job through his career and engaging with teams and the knowledge he has. I think he would be an amazing addition.

"Ferrari have already got a great team. They are already making huge progress and strides – their car is quicker this year.

"He [Newey] would be a privilege to work with."

Newey informed Red Bull he wanted to leave after a tumultuous period behind the scenes for the Formula One constructors' champions.

At the start of the season, controversy surrounded team principal Christian Horner as he was accused of engaging in inappropriate controlling behaviour towards a female member of staff, accusations he denied and was cleared of following an independent investigation. 

World champion Max Verstappen said he does not blame Newey for leaving Red Bull.

"I would have preferred, of course, for Adrian to stay," Verstappen told Sky Sports.

"But at the end of the day, and that's what I also said to Adrian, you have to do what you think is best for yourself, because at the end of the day, F1 is a bit of a shark tank. And I think it's very important that you do think about yourself, that you make the right decisions for yourself and your family.

"So I also don't blame him. If someone wants to leave, you go and pursue other goals or things in life, so that's absolutely fine."

Red Bull have confirmed chief technical officer Adrian Newey will leave the team in early 2025, with the legendary designer free to join a rival outfit ahead of the 2026 season.

Newey informed Red Bull he wished to leave after a tumultuous period behind the scenes for the Formula One constructors' champions.

At the start of the season, team principal Christian Horner was accused of engaging in inappropriate controlling behaviour towards a female member of staff, accusations he denied and was cleared of following an independent investigation. 

The controversy surrounding Horner even led to suggestions three-time world champion Max Verstappen could leave the team, with Mercedes linked with a huge move for the Dutchman.

On Wednesday, it was confirmed that Newey – who has been with Red Bull since 2006 and is widely regarded as the greatest designer in Formula One history – will leave the team.

In a statement, Red Bull said Newey will "step back from design duties to focus on final development and delivery of Red Bull's first hypercar, the hugely anticipated RB17".

Newey said: "Ever since I was a young boy, I wanted to be a designer of fast cars. My dream was to be an engineer in Formula One, and I've been lucky enough to make that dream a reality. 

"For almost two decades it has been my great honour to have played a key role in Red Bull Racing's progress from upstart newcomer to multiple title-winning team. 

"However, I feel now is an opportune moment to hand that baton over to others and to seek new challenges for myself."

Newey has played a key role in all six of Red Bull's constructors' championships and is certain to attract interest from several teams. 

Reports suggest the 65-year-old will not have to serve a period of gardening leave and will be able to join another team in the first quarter of 2025, allowing him to oversee development of a 2026 car.

Though it is not thought that Newey has already agreed to join another team, Ferrari are seen as favourites for his signature as they bid to partner him with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Christian Horner says Adrian Newey will by staying at Red Bull for "many years to come" amid speculation over his future.

It has been reported that chief technical officer Newey could leave the Formula One constructors' champions as his contract is up for renewal.

Red Bull team principal Horner dismissed talk that Newey could be on his way out of the team.

"His heart is still very much in Formula One and his commitment to the team is, it's not something…" Horner told Sky Sports News.

"We don't talk about contracts or longevity of contracts, but he'll be here for many years to come.

"There's always going to be rumours in this paddock, that's Formula One."

Horner added: "He's such an important part of our team and popular part of our team.

"It's great to have him with us for the long term, but also to be involved in some of the things we're now getting involved in."