"He’s happy to put all his chips on black": Adrian Newey lauds Lawrence Stroll's commitment to Aston Martin's success

Adrian Newey expressed his belief in Lawrence Stroll's commitment to the Aston Martin project. Speaking at a press conference announcing his partnership with the Silverstone team, the iconic British car designer noted that the Canadian billionaire was the most persistent in approaching him, despite several offers from other teams.

Newey was introduced as a Managing Technical Partner and shareholder at Aston Martin in a global press conference. After leaving Red Bull, the renowned aerodynamicist received offers from Ferrari, Alpine, and Williams. However, during a tour of the Silverstone factory around the British GP weekend, Newey was convinced by Stroll’s vision and commitment to the project.

According to the announcement, Newey will assume his role at the team starting March 1, 2025. With Honda set to provide powertrains for Aston Martin from 2026 and several key hires strengthening their technical department, the Silverstone team is poised to become a formidable force. Newey shared that his rapport with Stroll and the latter's relentless pursuit of success ultimately convinced him to join the team. He saw the project as one worth investing his time in, rather than opting for a leisurely retirement.

When asked what convinced him to sign with Aston Martin, Adrian Newey said:

“Lawrence! That’s easy. No, seriously, I felt as if I needed a new challenge. Towards the end of April, I decided that I needed to do something different. I spent a lot of time with Mandy, my wife, kind of discussing what’s next… What do we do? Do we go off and sail around the world? Do I do something different? We took a bit of time out.”

“Lawrence and I have known each other off and on over the years, and we often bump into each other in the gym, particularly at the Middle East and Far East races. As I’ve announced to everybody that I will be departing the old team, I was very flattered to have a lot of approaches from various teams, but really Lawrence’s passion, commitment and enthusiasm were very endearing; it’s very persuasive.”

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Adrian Newey impressed by Aston Martin’s facilities and Lawrence Stroll’s vision

Adrian Newey believes that the chance to become a shareholder and partner in the team made Aston Martin the most compelling option among the offers he received. Unlike the old-school days of Ron Dennis, Frank Williams, or Eddie Jordan, Newey felt the role and opportunity offered by Lawrence Stroll were unique. His new position as a partner and shareholder is a first in Formula 1 for an engineer and car designer.

Aston Martin gave media, including Sportskeeda, an in-house tour of their state-of-the-art facility and new building. Newey found the impressive infrastructure a clear reflection of Stroll’s commitment and seriousness towards the project, making his decision to join the team straightforward.

Further explaining what convinced him to join Aston Martin, Newey said:

“The reality is, if you go back 20 years, what we now call Team Principals were actually the owners of the teams: Frank Williams, Ron Dennis, Eddie Jordan, etc. In this modern era, Lawrence is actually unique in being the only properly active team owner. It’s a different feeling when you have somebody like Lawrence involved like that; it’s back to the old-school model, and to have the chance to be a shareholder and a partner is something that has never really been, or hasn’t been, offered to me before.”

“It’s [an opportunity] I’m very much looking forward to, and it became a very natural choice. The building is clearly mightily impressive, it has a great feel to it. It’s a real demonstration of Lawrence’s commitment and vision of where he wants the team to get to. I don’t know how much it cost, but it’s not going to be cheap!

"I think the combination of seeing all the facilities, how nice a feel [it has] and how well thought out the building is, perhaps most of all that very visual demonstration of Lawrence. If I had to describe Lawrence in one sentence, I think he has total belief, he has a direction and he’s happy to put all his chips on black, and that’s what he’s doing here.”

Aston Martin currently sits fifth in the Constructors’ Championship, but their ambition is to become front runners in the future. With Adrian Newey joining the Silverstone team, their trajectory appears promising.

In addition to Newey, former Ferrari chassis head Enrico Cardile has been hired as Chief Technical Officer, and former Mercedes engine head Andy Cowell will replace Martin Whitmarsh as CEO by the end of 2024. The former Red Bull aero genius will also reunite with ex-Red Bull aerodynamicist Dan Fallows, forming a dream team in Aston Martin’s technical department.