The GOAT When It Comes To Designing F1 Cars Has A New Team

There have been a lot of drivers bouncing around from team to team ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 season, but arguably the biggest move became official today with news that Adrian Newey — arguably the greatest car designer in Formula 1 history — has signed a long-term deal with Aston Martin.

There have been some legendary designers in Formula 1 history like John Barnard who was responsible for bringing wings into F1 and Colin Chapman, the innovative founder of Lotus, but Adrian Newey is widely regarded as the best designer in the sports history.

He has designed cars for Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull and won championships at every stop, including 12 Constructors' titles.

So, when it was announced earlier this year that Newey had decided to leave Red Bull where he had worked since 2006, and had been instrumental in designing cars that helped the team win 6 Constructors' Championships and seven Drivers' Championships, pretty much every team wanted to get their hands on him.

While there were rumors that Newey was considering a move to Ferrari or a return to Williams, on Tuesday it was made official that he is joining Aston Martin.

"I am thrilled to be joining the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team," Newey said in a team press release. "I have been hugely inspired and impressed by the passion and commitment that (Team owner) Lawrence (Stroll) brings to everything he is involved with."

The team's press release said that a tour of their facility helped seal the deal with Newey. That shouldn't be a surprise. They've got the newest wind tunnel in the sport, something that was sure to make Newey — who has been described as "The Man Who Can See Air" due to his aerodynamics expertise — drool like Homer Simpson.

Adrian Newey and Lawrence Stroll sit at the event announcing the legendary designer as the newest member of Aston Martin. (Photo by Zak Mauger/Getty Images for Aston Martin)

Why This Is A Massive Deal In F1

We've already talked about Newey's pedigree in Formula 1. He's the best there is at the moment when it comes to designing cars, and likely the best ever. So, Aston Martin's driver lineup of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll will have Newey-influenced cars as soon as next season.

They need that. While Aston Martin had a strong start to the 2023 season, at times having the second-best car on the grid, other teams caught up and passed them after last season' summer break. Since then, they've had trouble getting back into the fight at the front of the grid and are currently P5 in the standings.

What's even bigger, however, is that new regulations come into play in 2026. That always jumbles the pecking order a bit, but Newey is the guy who aced that last round of new regulations which were introduced in 2022. He and Red Bull had been virtually unstoppable until just this season when other teams appeared to out-develop them (the drop-off also came in May, around the time Newey resigned. Interesting timing for sure).

This is a big statement of intent from the Silverstone-based team. They're likely to have one of the best cars on the grid in the next couple of seasons, which would put their fortunes in the hands of Alonso — a two-time champion and one of the best drivers of all time — and Lance Stroll — who is capable but wildly inconsistent.