Adrian Newey has become one of British sport’s richest figures after signing a multi-year contract with Aston Martin worth £150million.
The former Red Bull design chief, widely regarded as F1’s most influential innovator with his cars winning over 200 races and seven world titles, will lead the British manufacturer into the new era of engine regulations when he joins from 2025.
The team did not initially reveal the length of his contract, but a report from BBC Sport suggests that Newey has signed a five-year deal with the Silverstone outfit as he begins a new era with the team.
It is fair to say the 65-year-old will be handsomely rewarded for this efforts too. Inclusive of all bonuses and add-ons, Newey will be paid £30m a year by Aston Martin and also becomes a shareholder under the terms of his agreement.
That instantly makes him one of the highest-paid figures in F1, with only Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton earning more on the 2024 grid. Even renowned drivers such as Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris cannot boast earning such a payday.
Then there is the two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, 43. The Aston Martin star has seen his £18.3m salary dwarfed by Newey’s earnings despite recently signing a new deal to 2026.
The same applies across other sports too. In the English Premier League, Manchester City star Kevin de Bruyne is believed to be the highest-earning player in the top-flight with a weekly remuneration of £400,000 a week.
But that only takes the Belgian to £20.6m a year, some way short of Newey’s £30m package.
Manchester United pair Marcus Rashford and Casemiro both take home £350,000 a week, while Arsenal’s Kai Havertz is said to be on £280,000 a week.
According to business magazine Forbes, Newey would only be behind boxers Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, and golfer Rory McIlroy in terms of other British sporting figures.
Aston Martin executive chairman Lawrence Stroll has proved he is willing to invest heavily to assemble a team capable of challenging at the front, recruiting some of the top designers and engineers from rival teams.
Dan Fallows, an aerodynamicist who worked under Newey at Red Bull from 2006-2021, is the team’s technical director. He will be joined by former Mercedes engine chief Andy Cowell as chief executive officer in October and former Ferrari chassis technical director Enrico Cardile, who arrives as the new chief technical officer in 2025.
By becoming Managing Technical Partner, Newey will be very much leading from the front at Aston Martin and, perhaps more crucially, will have a seat at the table in terms of making critical decisions in the team with creative freedom.
“Once I start I will be fully in. I need to be, I have to be,” Newey said. “This is something different. It is that fresh challenge, new stimulation, and so I always do what I feel is needed for the best of the team.”
