Adrian Newey brought an end to several months of speculation on Tuesday when it was announced that he is set to join Aston Martin ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 season. His impending departure from Red Bull, where he has worked since 2006, was announced in early May.
Newey is set to join the Silverstone outfit in the newly created role of managing technical partner, and he is set to lead the development of the organization's 2026 car as the team aim to open up the new era of rules and regulations on top.
The announcement comes after Ferrari fans were led to believe that the legendary British designer was all but a lock to join the Scuderia in 2025.
Ferrari fans get bad news as Newey move confirmed
For years and years, there had been rumors that seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton may be joining Ferrari, and they never came to fruition.
Then one morning in February of this year, those rumors resurfaced, and over the course of the next few hours, it was determined that they were actually legitimate. The deal was announced later that day, and Hamilton is indeed set to leave Mercedes after 12 years and join Ferrari for 2025.
It seems that some in Ferrari red were hoping that they could conjure up Newey's signature as well, with multiple "reports" effectively guaranteeing that he would be joining Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in Maranello next year and leading the charge on the Italian team's 2026 car.
Tuesday's news delivered a swift blow to those rumors, which never had backing of any kind.
🚨 | Today, Red Bull is expected to announce the departure of Adrian Newey. This move would allow Newey to join, Ferrari sooner and commence work on the development of the 2026 car.#F1 #Ferrari pic.twitter.com/TlgT93quV5
— Ferrari Focus (@Scuderiascoop) April 30, 2024
🚨🚨🚨 | JUST IN:
— Ferrari Focus (@Scuderiascoop) May 1, 2024
Yesterday Fred Vasseur did not travel with the team to Miami.
He instead flew to London, to MEET NEWEY HIMSELF IN THE EVENING to close the deal.
It is likely that THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SIGNATURE WILL BE MADE AFTER THE MIAMI GP.#F1 #Ferrari
🚨 | JUST IN: Ferrari are expected to announce the Adrian Newey signing at 12:00 pic.twitter.com/HFMIzoqECD
— Ferrari Focus (@Scuderiascoop) May 10, 2024
🚨| BREAKING NEWS: Adrian Newey has already signed with Ferrari until 2027.
— Ferrari Focus (@Scuderiascoop) June 12, 2024
Newey would start working in 2025 and would earn $105 million in these three years with the 'Scuderia'.
For now, the British engineer prefers to remain calm and delay the official announcement.… pic.twitter.com/K7uNichMHZ
It's almost like the Formula 1 equivalent of "Arson Judge appears headed to Giants".
Aston Martin's two drivers, two-time world champion Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, both have contracts that extend through at least 2026, though there has been speculation that team owner Lawrence Stroll could pursue Red Bull's Max Verstappen in an attempt to reunite the three-time world champion with Newey and Honda, which is set to replace Mercedes as the team's engine supplier, less than two years from now.